Posted: Fri, May 31, 2002, 8:12 AM ET (1212 GMT)
An instrument on Aqua, NASA's newest earth sciences spacecraft, has malfunctioned, the New York Times reported Friday. The Times reported that a radiometer on Aqua, launched May 4, started malfunctioning on May 25. The instrument was not specifically identified, but the Times description of it most closely matches the Advanced Microwave Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), provided by the Japanese space agency NASDA. The instrument is designed to trace the transport of water from the oceans and land to atmosphere and back. A NASA official quoted by the Times acknowledged that the instrument was malfunctioning but said it was premature to say that it has permanently failed.

Related Links:

•  New York Times
•  Aqua web site