Preventive Care Continues; Science on Hold

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE 818-354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Sept. 4, 2009
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER MISSION STATUS REPORT

Preventive Care Continues; Science on Hold

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.

-end-

2009-138

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