MRO Preventive Care Continues; Science on Hold

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-138

Preventive Care Continues; Science on Hold
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
September 04, 2009

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission Status Report

PASADENA, Calif. -- During analysis of four safe-mode events this
year,
engineers for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter project have
identified
a vulnerability to the effects of subsequent events. They are
currently
developing added protection to eliminate this vulnerability while they
continue analysis of the string of incidents this year in which the
spacecraft has spontaneously rebooted its computer or switched to a
backup computer.

The team is keeping the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in a precautionary
"safe" mode, with healthy power, temperatures and communications,
while
continuing analysis and precautions subsequent to the latest
rebooting,
on Aug. 26. Science observations will likely not resume for several
weeks while this preventive care is the mission's priority.

The analysis identified one possible but unlikely scenario
jeopardizing
the spacecraft. This scenario would require two computer resets, each
worse than any so far, occurring within several minutes of each other
in
a certain pattern.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, at Mars since 2006, has met the
mission's science goals and returned more data than all other Mars
missions combined. It completed its primary science phase of
operations
in November 2008 but remains an important contributor to science and
to
future landed missions. Continuing science observations are planned
when
the spacecraft is brought out of its current precautionary mode.

Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.


2009-138