Spirit condition improves as Opportunity nears landing
Posted: Sat, Jan 24, 2004, 9:39 PM ET (0239 GMT)
Engineers have isolated the problem that has effectively shut down NASA's Mars rover Spirit and believe the problem can be resolved, officials said Saturday. Data received from the rover have led spacecraft engineers to conclude that Spirit's problem is with either its "flash" memory modules, or the software that controls those modules. They found that when they commanded Spirit to reboot and use a separate bank of random-access memory the spacecraft was more responsive than in the past. They now plan to focus on ways of increasing the data rate to the rover while they work out a long-term solution to the flash memory problem that will restore as much functionality to the spacecraft as possible. The complete process could take as long as three weeks, however. That work should not interfere with the operations of Spirit's twin, Opportunity, which will land on the opposite side of the planet at 12:05 am EST (0505 GMT) Sunday.
Engineers have isolated the problem that has effectively shut down NASA's Mars rover Spirit and believe the problem can be resolved, officials said Saturday. Data received from the rover have led spacecraft engineers to conclude that Spirit's problem is with either its "flash" memory modules, or the software that controls those modules. They found that when they commanded Spirit to reboot and use a separate bank of random-access memory the spacecraft was more responsive than in the past. They now plan to focus on ways of increasing the data rate to the rover while they work out a long-term solution to the flash memory problem that will restore as much functionality to the spacecraft as possible. The complete process could take as long as three weeks, however. That work should not interfere with the operations of Spirit's twin, Opportunity, which will land on the opposite side of the planet at 12:05 am EST (0505 GMT) Sunday.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, March 20
Sea Launch Receives Court Approval for Additional Financing
Sea Launch — 8:28 am ET (1228 GMT) Nelson: Obama Made Mistake 'Cancelling' Constellation
Central Florida News 13 — 8:26 am ET (1226 GMT) Police still clueless
Express News Service — 8:24 am ET (1224 GMT) NASA's Ames director envisions role of 'interplanetary Internet'
San Jose Mercury News — 8:16 am ET (1216 GMT) NASA and NOAA's Environmental Satellite Now GOES-15
NASA/GSFC — 8:13 am ET (1213 GMT) |