NASA ponders Spirit's erratic behaviour

[IDemo]

Source: Reuters

Mars rover showing its age?

By Lester Haines

Posted in Space, 29th January 2009 11:24 GMT

The team controlling NASA's Mars rover Spirit is planning to carry out some diagnostic tests on the venerable vehicle after it earlier this week indulged in some "unexplained behavior", as the agency puts it.

On Sunday, Spirit reported that it had "received its driving commands for the day but had not moved" - a correct decision if it didn't know its orientation. Accordingly, NASA on Tuesday commanded the rover to re-establish its bearings by pinpointing the sun with its camera.

Spirit later confirmed it had located the sun, "but not in its expected location".

What's further baffling NASA boffins is that Spirit didn't record Sunday's main activities "into the non-volatile memory", which preserves data even when the power's off. They suggest one possible cause of this are "transitory effects from cosmic rays hitting electronics", although they're really not sure what's going on.


Read more: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/29/rover_erratic_behaviour/

[Mika]

1. I am amazed that Spirit is still functioning.

A fine example of good ol' American R&D. :bounce:

[IDemo]

3. Made with the same loving care as Voyager 1

Still going strong after a third of a century (last I heard, anyway).

If the flash memory is toast onboard Spirit, that's pretty much it. The mission is still nothing short of a wild success.

[Posteritatis]

16. Both Voyagers are still phoning home

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/

Every hand that touched those things earned their pay to say the very least.

What's amazing is that we can hear it; a typical digital wristwatch has more power than the signals the things use right now, I think.

[Xithras]

2. Age could be catching up to it.

The were supposed to last 90 days, but have been running for over 5 years now. They aren't going to last forever.

[alfredo]

4. A sure sign of its age is the blinking left turn signal.

[cliffordu]

5. lol

:rofl:

[onehandle]

6. Is this really our problem?

Sounds like a Martian problem to me. Let them take care of it.

[IDemo]

10. They're unable to understand the tech support agent in Bangalore n/t

[HopeHoops]

7. It sent back a cryptic message about needing Reese's Pieces.

[snooper2]

8. It's under Martian control now...

:)

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Sounds like it was abducted by aliens, and they didn't put it back in the right place

Can you probe a probe? :tinfoilhat:

[daleo]

11. It's like a Star Trek episode

"it had located the sun, "but not in its expected location"."

But how can that be, Mr. Spock?

[Peace Patriot]

12. Yup, that's what I was thinking. The Sun MOVED.

Spirit is just telling the truth--and nobody will believe it.

[Thor_MN]

13. Chenny tried to steal the sun before he left office.

He herniated himself trying to lift it and was only able to move it a little bit.

[On the Road]

14. I Really Hope it Survives

I would have to change my avatar right after changing my userame.

[Posteritatis]

15. After twenty lifetimes it can act as erratic as it wants (nt)

[Bake]

17. Boffins? What the hell are boffins?

I just love the British ...

Bake