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I’ve read that mission teams restrict commands to Mars spacecraft during Mars solar conjunction. Is this mainly because the Sun physically blocks the radio path, or can signals become unreliable even when Mars isn’t directly hidden behind it?
I’m especially curious about the difference between a delayed message and a corrupted command. Spacecraft already operate with substantial communication delays, so what makes this period risky enough to change normal operations?
During these restrictions, can a rover continue activities planned in advance and store its results, or do teams generally keep it inactive? I’d appreciate an explanation that separates the radio problem from the precautions used to protect the spacecraft.
