Phoenix in safe mode
Posted: Sat, Nov 1, 2008, 8:39 AM ET (1239 GMT)
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spacecraft is in a protective safe mode but is communicating again, project officials said this week. Phoenix apparently entered the safe mode earlier this week because of declining power levels exacerbated by a dust storm. The spacecraft did not respond to communications requests Wednesday, but did regain contact with the Odyssey orbiter late Thursday. Project officials said they hope to use the communications links with orbiting spacecraft to get the spacecraft working again, a process that would take "the better part of a week" in the best-case situation. Controllers started turning off heaters and other systems on Phoenix this week to conserve power and extend the spacecraft's life as sunlight levels at the landing site decrease. Phoenix has been on the surface for over five months on a mission originally planned to last only three.
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spacecraft is in a protective safe mode but is communicating again, project officials said this week. Phoenix apparently entered the safe mode earlier this week because of declining power levels exacerbated by a dust storm. The spacecraft did not respond to communications requests Wednesday, but did regain contact with the Odyssey orbiter late Thursday. Project officials said they hope to use the communications links with orbiting spacecraft to get the spacecraft working again, a process that would take "the better part of a week" in the best-case situation. Controllers started turning off heaters and other systems on Phoenix this week to conserve power and extend the spacecraft's life as sunlight levels at the landing site decrease. Phoenix has been on the surface for over five months on a mission originally planned to last only three.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, September 15
Elon Musk's Starlink reports service outage, thousands of users affected
Reuters — 1:23 am ET (0523 GMT) What does the loss of U.S. Space Command mean to Colorado Springs?
Denver Post — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) SpaceX Launches Northrop Grumman Cargo Ship To ISS
Aviation Week — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on Sunday
WESH-TV Orlando — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) Apollo 13 made Jim Lovell a legend generations after the space race
The Hill — 1:09 am ET (0509 GMT) |
