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Fate of NASA’s Opportunity rover unknown as Martian dust storm reaches peak strength
As NASA’s Opportunity Rover continues to weather the massive dust storm engulfing a quarter part of the Red Planet, the silence from the resilient rover has now stretched to three weeks. Despite this, however, Dr. James Rice, co-investigator and geology team leader on NASA projects including Opportunity, recently stated that it is far too early to speculate the rover’s demise, considering the grit and durability the machine has exhibited over the past 14 years.
In an article on Spaceflight Insider, Dr. Rice noted that NASA received the last power reading from Opportunity on Sol 5111 (June 10, 2018), when the rover collected a measly 22 Wh worth of solar power. Just ten days prior to the reading, Opportunity was still able to collect 645 Wh of energy from the Sun. Despite the lack of sunlight due to the dust storm, however, Dr. Rice noted that the timing of the storm could work in Opportunity’s favor, since the warm Martian Spring could help keep the rover’s electronics from becoming too cold during the night.
“We went from generating a healthy 645 watt-hours on June 1 to an unheard of, life-threatening, low just about one week later. Our last power reading on June 10 was only 22 watt hours the lowest we have ever seen. Our thermal experts think that we will stay above those low critical temperatures because we have a Warm Electronics Box (WEB) that is well insulated. So we are not expecting any thermal damage to the batteries or computer systems. Fortunately for us it is also the Martian Spring and the dust, while hindering our solar power in the day, helps keep us warmer at night,” Dr. Rice wrote.
Opportunity is currently weathering the Martian dust storm on the slopes of Perseverance Valley, where it is analyzing the planet’s geology. As the storm broke out, NASA opted to keep the rover’s robotic arm deployed on its rock target, La Joya. The dust storm, which covered 15.8 million square miles (41 million square kilometers) as of mid-June, started at a rather unusual time. Dust storms in the Red Planet, after all, usually form during the Martian Summer. Only one other dust event during the Martian Spring was recorded by NASA back in 2001, but it started significantly later than the current storm.
Despite the very real danger Opportunity is facing, NASA remains optimistic about the resilient rover’s chances. Just recently, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program director Jim Watzin stated that the massive Martian dust storm silencing Opportunity might have already peaked. Considering that the storm took roughly a month to build up, however, Watzin noted that it could also be a “substantial” amount of time before the dust event settles enough for NASA to properly determine Opportunity’s fate, as noted in a Twitter update from Space News senior writer Jeff Foust.
Watzin: the Martian dust storm that silenced Opportunity may be peaking now, but it took a month to build up and thus could be a “substantial” amount of time before it subsides.
— Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) July 2, 2018
Opportunity is currently the longest-serving rover on the Martian landscape. Launched back in 2004, Opportunity, together with its sister, Spirit, were designed to last for a 90-day mission. Both rovers proved far more durable than expected, however, with Spirit continuing its mission for six years before falling silent in 2010 and Opportunity still going strong well into 2018. Overall, the work done by Opportunity, Spirit, as well as the nuclear-powered Curiosity, have laid the groundwork for more ambitious missions to the Red Planet. Among these are Mars 2020, a machine based on Curiosity, as well as Europe’s ExoMars rover, both of which would be sent to Mars in order to find signs of life.
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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.
Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
