Curiosity suffers another computer glitch
Posted: Tue, Mar 19, 2013, 6:28 AM ET (1028 GMT)
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is again in safe mode after another problem with its computers, but should resume normal operations in a few days, project officials said Monday. The rover went into safe mode Saturday night when a command file failed a "size check" by the rover's software, due to a software bug that appended an extra file to the one being checked, according to a JPL statement on Monday. Engineers expect to bring the rover out of safe mode within a few days. The rover previously encountered a problem with its "A-side" computer that put it into safe mode on February 27 as it switched to its backup B-side computer; engineers were in the process of restoring normal operations using the B-side computer when the latest glitch occurred. Project officials hope to get some additional science done with the rover before a month-long moratorium on sending commands to the rover begins on April 4. That break is caused by Mars going behind the Sun as seen from Earth, disrupting communications.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is again in safe mode after another problem with its computers, but should resume normal operations in a few days, project officials said Monday. The rover went into safe mode Saturday night when a command file failed a "size check" by the rover's software, due to a software bug that appended an extra file to the one being checked, according to a JPL statement on Monday. Engineers expect to bring the rover out of safe mode within a few days. The rover previously encountered a problem with its "A-side" computer that put it into safe mode on February 27 as it switched to its backup B-side computer; engineers were in the process of restoring normal operations using the B-side computer when the latest glitch occurred. Project officials hope to get some additional science done with the rover before a month-long moratorium on sending commands to the rover begins on April 4. That break is caused by Mars going behind the Sun as seen from Earth, disrupting communications.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
about spacetoday.net · info@spacetoday.net · mailing list |
