groutch wrote:
I was wondering why NASA accepts a shortened life for the Mars Rovers
due to "dust build-up on the solar panels".

Is cleaning them beyond their rocket scientists ?

I wouldn't bother too much with dust...

In Mars the wind will clean the dust, so there will never be too much on
top of the panels.

Also if you get really in trouble they can allways put the rover in a
slope, by starting to climb a bigger rock, for example, and the wind
would clean the solar panels.

Presuming no other major failures occur I predict the rovers will never
fail dues to dust and will work for years.