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Glitch Forces Mars Probe Shut-Off

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the your-tax-dollars-at-work dept.

TheEvilOverlord writes to tell us that BBC News is reporting that a 'glitch' has forced the mars probe to switch into a "safe-mode" switching several of its systems off. Perhaps it is just an education tool to show martians the meaning of BSOD.

4 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Relevant glitches. by petermgreen · · Score: 3, Interesting

    from reading the article it sounds like the safe mode is intended to prevent total loss of the probe in the event of a problem that sucks lots of power.

    the main problem seems to be it takes a while to get it back to normal operation and they'd really like to take some photos of the bit of mars the probe is going over soon

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  2. What sort of software is this probe running? by CyricZ · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Can anyone provide technical information regarding what software this probe is running? The article itself is very vague (but not surprising, since it's a general-consumption BBC article).

    Which embedded OS is it running? What language and programming system was used to develop the application software for it? Details, please.

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  3. In Loving Memory of Krystal Koch by xenoxaos · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have a high emotional stake in the mars missions. Recently a good highschool friend of mine passed away in a plane crash. She was a co-op at NASA. In recognition for her work on the Mars reconnaissance orbiter, her memory and name were launched into space with with it. Krys, We love you. Story: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8931065/

  4. Re:Relevant glitches. by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There also seems to be a trade-off between power and communication. If the craft does not have to worry about pointing its high-gain antenna toward earth, then it can instead focus on pointing toward the sun. In an emergancy, it is nice to have plenty of power.

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