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NIT's Mars weather research aids mission planning
Researchers from NIT Rourkela and partner universities dug into 20+ years of Mars mission data—including India's Mars Orbiter—to figure out how dust storms, dust devils, and water ice clouds shape the planet's weather.
Global dust storms and seasonal changes affect cloud formation
Turns out, large dust storms on Mars can spread across the globe, messing with wind patterns and causing big temperature swings.
Seasonal changes also drive how these clouds form and move, sometimes totally transforming the Martian atmosphere.
Findings can help future Mars missions plan better
Better weather forecasting means future Mars missions—robotic or human—can plan smarter and stay safer.
With improved climate models, astronauts will have a better shot at tackling long-term exploration.