Glitch Forces Mars Probe Shut-Off

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Glitch Forces Mars Probe Shut-Off

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Sunday September 4, 2005 @04:42AM 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.

32 of 158 comments (clear)

What glitch!?!? by Ceirren · 2005-09-04 04:46 · Score: 5, Funny

It's not a glitch, silly. Nor is it a "bug"! It's just a new feature.
Relevant glitches. by moz25 · 2005-09-04 04:46 · Score: 2, Interesting

It seems like glitches and waiting for the right glitch to come along have become an important part of normal operation for these things.

Why didn't they build in some means of communication for this "safe mode"? I find it rather odd that it is in a known state (safe mode) that is known to be undesirable, yet there is no fallback system (even a timed one) to get it out of this mode? How come?

--
see a Text Widget
1. Re:Relevant glitches. by petermgreen · 2005-09-04 04:54 · 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
  
  --
  note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
2. Re:Relevant glitches. by jhines · 2005-09-04 04:54 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  From the fine article:
  In this mode, MGS turns off its science instruments but leaves many other systems on.
  Presumbly this includes communications.
3. Re:Relevant glitches. by Freexe · 2005-09-04 04:57 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  We're not talking about Windows safe mode here, It was switched onto safe mode because a glich was occuring.
  
  In safe mode to turns to the sun to funny charge its battery and allows communication with Earth on its low-gain antenna. Which is presumably to work out what is wrong makes changes and reboot the system.
  
  You have to remember that this craft has been in space since 1996 so is old and might have radiation damage by now so this kind of thing is to be expected.
  
  --
  "In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
4. Re:Relevant glitches. by srleffler · 2005-09-04 05:50 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  But only limited communications. The primary channel, which allows high bandwidth communications, is more fussy to maintain (antenna has to be pointed in the right direction, etc.) In 'safe mode' the probe uses a secondary communications method that is more reliable but much lower bandwidth.
5. Re:Relevant glitches. by srleffler · 2005-09-04 06:01 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  They did. From TFA, in safe mode "[t]he spacecraft...communicates with Earth on its low-gain antenna only." The low-gain antenna is there as a backup communications channel for 'safe mode'.
  You missed the point: 'safe mode' is the fallback system. The probe is not in a 'known state'. They do not yet know what fault caused the probe to go into safe mode. Safe mode is a generic state designed to maintain power and communications with Earth when an unknown fault has occurred, to give the operators time to find a solution or just to check that everything is OK. When they are sure everything is OK they will send a command to exit safe mode.
  There is reason to be cautious. An important satellite was lost a few years ago because the operators rushed their diagnosis of the problem. The satellite's operating state was not what they thought it was--two of the gyros had failed. The operators misinterpreted the data and switched the satellite from its last working gyro to one of the nonworking ones, resulting in total loss of communications and destruction of the satellite. Not good. Before they do anything, they need to be sure they understand what has happened and what state the probe is in.
6. Re:Relevant glitches. by Tablizer · 2005-09-04 07:21 · 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.
  
  --
  Table-ized A.I.
7. Re:Relevant glitches. by Ponzicar · 2005-09-04 11:21 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  So it's not exactly safe mode, it's more like "safe mode with networking".
8. Re:Relevant glitches. by srleffler · 2005-09-04 15:09 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  I can guess. From TFA, in safe mode the probe orients its solar panels very directly toward the sun, to maximize the power received. Presumably it uses its rockets to do that, burning lots of fuel. In normal operation, the probe probably keeps its orientation with gyros, and doesn't try to always be pointed exactly at the sun. It would use batteries to keep it running when the received power is low.
Not a big deal by jarich · 2005-09-04 04:47 · Score: 4, Funny

It's just applying a Service Pack. It'll be back up in jiff...

--
Agile Artisans
Re:Safe Mode? by Kiffer · 2005-09-04 04:48 · Score: 5, Funny

Yeah, just wait till the screensaver kicks in.

My God! It's full of stars!
BSOD by Luigi30 · 2005-09-04 04:50 · Score: 2, Funny

This probe has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.

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503 Sig Unavailable

The Signature could not be accessed. Please try again later or contact the administrator
"The" Mars Probe? by rk · 2005-09-04 04:52 · Score: 5, Informative

People, we've got be a little more precise. There are three functioning spacecraft in orbit, one more on the way, and two on the ground on and around Mars. Between NASA and the ESA, it's getting crowded on Mars.

For those who didn't RTFA, it's the Mars Global Surveyor, which is the oldest of those in orbit.
1. Re:"The" Mars Probe? by learn+fast · 2005-09-04 05:23 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Getting crowded? Mar is the size of a planet!
2. Re:"The" Mars Probe? by jez9999 · 2005-09-04 05:53 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  I think you mean Mar's.
  
  --
  == Jez ==
  Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
3. Re:"The" Mars Probe? by drsquare · 2005-09-04 06:28 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  In the summary, it was refered to as 'THE Mars Probe'. As there are only a few probes, it would have made sense to say which one, or at least to refer to it as 'A Mars Probe'. Saying 'the' probe makes it look like there is only one, and I for one would have assumed it's the rover thing.
  
  Imagine a newspaper headline after the hurricane:
  
  Hurricane Destroys City
  Today the city was devastated by the hurricane. More details on page 23.
4. Re:"The" Mars Probe? by KFury · 2005-09-04 10:55 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Or possibly "Man dies in the crash" at which point I'm wondering if it was a stock broker throwing himself out of a window or if there was a catastrophe I was unaware of.
  
  --
  
  Kevin Fox
Shouldn't the headline include.... by An+Ominous+Cow+Erred · 2005-09-04 04:54 · Score: 4, Insightful

...which probe?

There's presently functioning two orbiters (Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey), two rovers (MER A a.k.a. Spirit, MER B a.k.a. Opportunity), and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is on the way.

I realize TFA has the info but it sort of belongs in the headline. "The mars probe" just sounds silly and uninformed.
What sort of software is this probe running? by CyricZ · 2005-09-04 04:57 · 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.

--
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
1. Re:What sort of software is this probe running? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-09-04 05:15 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Mars rovers use WindRiver VxWorks, probably version 5... who needs a BSOD when you have this little favorite "workQPanic: Kernel work queue overflow"... ugh.
  
  check out http://acmqueue.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=sh owpage&pid=227 , to be fair, these guys go above and beyond to try and prevent glitches and random crappola.
  
  -j
Oooh... I've seen this one... by FhnuZoag · 2005-09-04 05:04 · Score: 2, Funny

Is this where we upload the virus onto the alien mothership?
In Loving Memory of Krystal Koch by xenoxaos · 2005-09-04 05:04 · 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/
tax dollars? by CunningNickName · 2005-09-04 05:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

The Mars Global Surveyor's mission ended in 2001 and has been on an extended mission ever since.

I'd say Americans are getting their money's worth and then some.
Re:Nasa? by sounddesignz · 2005-09-04 05:05 · Score: 4, Informative

http://www.fastcompany.com/online/06/writestuff.ht ml well, TFA is about the space shuttle, but i'd guess it applies to other space gadgets, too. "Consider these stats : the last three versions of the program -- each 420,000 lines long-had just one error each. The last 11 versions of this software had a total of 17 errors. Commercial programs of equivalent complexity would have 5,000 errors."
As John Hurt Said In Spaceballs... by __aaclcg7560 · 2005-09-04 05:08 · Score: 3, Funny

Oh, no, not again! :P
ETA to download: 400 days remaining by John+Muir · 2005-09-04 05:09 · Score: 2, Funny

Any guesses what the download bandwidth is via space telescope at Mars? It might have taken this long for it to get SP2.
Re:Nasa? by martin_b1sh0p · 2005-09-04 05:14 · Score: 3, Informative

I know some of their stuff (i.e. the MER rovers) use VxWorks. See http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology /mer_computer_040128.html and http://www.windriver.com/news/press/pr.html?ID=355
Isn't the first time by richdun · 2005-09-04 05:17 · Score: 4, Informative

Apparently this probe (the Mars Global Surveyor) went into "safe mode" before in its mission.

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/status/wkreport/curre nt.html
Re:Nasa? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-09-04 05:21 · Score: 3, Informative

Malin Space Science Systems http://www.msss.com/ is the company that runs the cameras on MGS, among other Mars probes. The MGS uses VxWorks, a specialized OS for robotic craft, which I believe runs on both *nix and Windows. I think VxWorks is OSS, although I also think some companies use customized versions. The specs for MGS http:///http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs//scsys/cdhsin fo.html> indicate two 1750A and one 8086 processors, which are probably running VxWorks in a Unix-like environment. The 1750A is a military standard processor (exceedingly old now, but rugged). Check out that specs page; very interesting. In safe mode, MGS uses 20K PROM for the Command/Data subsystem! Since Malin website indicates jobs for Unix/C programmers, I'm assuming that their stuff is running in VxWorks in a Unix-like environment, probably a BSD varaiant. BTW, the Mars rovers use a PPC 601-like chip that runs at a screaming 20 mHz.
POSIX OS by KajiCo · 2005-09-04 05:23 · Score: 3, Informative

Wind River Systems built the POSIX compliant based OS into the Odyssey, Stardust and Rovers, so it's possible the MGS has a similar OS to those.

The OS is VxWorks and it's been used in Sattelites, Robots and for some reason Movie editing (probably a file management system)

http://www.windriver.com/products/device_technolog ies/os/vxworks6/

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/0 3/mars/jump/2404308
Re:Nasa? by PinkyGigglebrain · 2005-09-04 18:29 · Score: 2, Informative

VxWorks from Wind River Systems.

Pathfinder and the two rovers are the only ones I'm sure of as far as the Mars units go but some of the other space probes, Stardust,Deep Imapct and Deep Space 1 also used VxWorks.

I do know that the "safe mode" the probe has entered means that something locked up the main program long enough for a hardware watchdog to go off, rebooting it, during boot the init code checks what state the system is in, ie; did the WD go off, and if it did then it boots a known good App/OS package that will at least allow the probe to get in contact with Earth so it can be fixed.

I don't know for sure if NASA is doing this, I know I told the JPL people I met about it, but I know that with VxWorks it is possible to store data in the upper area of RAM and prevent the init code from clearing it so that a core dump of sorts can be used to isolate the problem so the main code can be adjusted, if needed, to correct the issue. This is what they did with Pathfinder when the base station kept rebooting every 20 min due to a priority inversion issue with a semaphore.