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Glitch as Mars rover phones home | Glitch as Mars rover phones home |
(about 13 hours later) | |
The rover Spirit failed to carry out directions it received on Sunday, its 1800th day on the Martian surface. | The rover Spirit failed to carry out directions it received on Sunday, its 1800th day on the Martian surface. |
Another anomaly, according to Nasa, was that the day's activities were not saved to the rover's long-term memory. | Another anomaly, according to Nasa, was that the day's activities were not saved to the rover's long-term memory. |
As of Wednesday, the rover seems to have recovered and is responsive to commands from Earth. | As of Wednesday, the rover seems to have recovered and is responsive to commands from Earth. |
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team operating Spirit will begin diagnostic tests to determine the cause of Sunday's glitches. | The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team operating Spirit will begin diagnostic tests to determine the cause of Sunday's glitches. |
The rover reported receiving its instructions on Sunday but pictures at the beginning and the end of the day showed that it had not moved. | |
Engineers tried to determine Spirit's precise location on Tuesday by locating the sun with the rover's camera. | Engineers tried to determine Spirit's precise location on Tuesday by locating the sun with the rover's camera. |
The rover followed commands and located the sun, but not in the location in the sky that Spirit anticipated. | The rover followed commands and located the sun, but not in the location in the sky that Spirit anticipated. |
"We don't have a good explanation yet for the way Spirit has been acting for the past few days," said JPL team leader Sharon Laubach. | "We don't have a good explanation yet for the way Spirit has been acting for the past few days," said JPL team leader Sharon Laubach. |
"Our next steps will be diagnostic activities." | "Our next steps will be diagnostic activities." |
One theory holds that the rover's electronics could have been damaged by a cosmic ray - a fast-moving particle from the sun or elsewhere in the galaxy. | One theory holds that the rover's electronics could have been damaged by a cosmic ray - a fast-moving particle from the sun or elsewhere in the galaxy. |
Whatever the cause, the problem appears to have corrected itself. | Whatever the cause, the problem appears to have corrected itself. |
"Right now, Spirit is under normal sequence control, reporting good health and responsive to commands from the ground," Mars Rovers project director John Callas said. | "Right now, Spirit is under normal sequence control, reporting good health and responsive to commands from the ground," Mars Rovers project director John Callas said. |
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