Mars Recommaissance Orbiter Safe After Computer Swap

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-118

Orbiter Safe After Computer Swap
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
August 07, 2009

Mars Recommaissance Orbiter Mission Status Report

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is in safe
mode,
a precautionary standby status, and in communications with Earth after
unexpectedly switching to its backup computer on Thurs. Aug. 6.

Engineers are working to determine the cause of the spontaneous swap
from the orbiter's "A" side computer and subsystems to the redundant
"B"
side. They have successfully increased the communication rate from the
orbiter, but some engineering data about what was occurring just
before
the side swap may never be available. The team expects it will be at
least several days until normal science operations resume.

The event has some similarities with, but also differences from, two
earlier instances of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spontaneously
swapping sides.

Jim Erickson, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter project manager at NASA's
Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., said, "The spacecraft is
safe,
with good temperatures and battery charge and with solar panels
properly
facing the sun. The flight team is cautiously taking steps to bring it
back to normal operations."

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been studying Mars with an
advanced
set of instruments since 2006. It has returned more data about the
planet than all other past and current missions to Mars combined.

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


2009-118