I just read an article stating that the rovers have been guaranteed an 18 month extension to their operations:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7398672/.  This is good news since the Hubble space telescope has been written off:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7353224/.  This 18 month extension is only possible because of the dust devils that have been cleaning off the rover's solar panels.  So much for my post on this subject a year ago to the day.

 

"Life Extension" term courtesy of Vanilla Sky.