NASA Engineers Hope Software Fix Will Heal Spirit Rover of Crippling Computer Problems

ABCNEWS ^ | 01/30/04 | Associated Press

[Pikamax]

NASA Puts Hope in Software Fix for Rover NASA Engineers Hope Software Fix Will Heal Spirit Rover of Crippling Computer Problems

The Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. Jan. 30 — After being sidelined on Mars for a week with crippling computer problems, NASA's Spirit rover "will be perfect again" once key software repairs are made, the space agency says. Engineers were preparing to wipe the rover's flash memory clean of science and engineering files that have stymied its software, Jennifer Trosper, a mission manager, said Thursday. The fix, likely to be made Friday, could restore Spirit to full health.

"I think it will be perfect again," project manager Pete Theisinger said.

Spirit resumed acquiring science data Thursday, using its panoramic camera to focus on two rocks scientists have called Cake and Blanco.

The rover has resumed using its high-gain antenna, which speeds transmission of the data needed to debug the rover's problems.

The first picture it took in more than a week was a simple black-and-white photograph showing the rover's robotic arm pressed to a football-sized rock, exactly as it was poised before the problems started.

Also Thursday, Spirit's twin rover, Opportunity, stretched out its rear wheels on the opposite side of the planet in preparation for rolling onto the surface of Mars, possibly late Saturday.

Except for its robotic arm, Opportunity finished unfolding and standing up from its landing position and was ready to travel the final 10 feet from its lander to the surface of Mars, Theisinger said.

Engineers consider roll-off the riskiest maneuver of the surface portion of each mission.

NASA landed the $820 million pair of rovers on Mars to hunt for geologic evidence that would show whether the planet ever was wet enough to support life. Spirit landed Jan. 3, followed by Opportunity on Jan. 24. They were launched in June and July.

On the Net:

[Steely Tom]

The first picture it took in more than a week was a simple black-and-white photograph showing the rover's robotic arm pressed to a football-sized rock, exactly as it was poised before the problems started.

Mars is a ROM.

(steely)

[Post Toasties]

Now they're outsourcing Martian computer support to Earth.

[KellyAdmirer]

A week to do this, a week to do that, pretty soon that adds up. Meanwhile, the solar panels slowly get covered with dust....

[MrConfettiMan]

VxDoesntWorks :)

[Dead Corpse]

Next time they need a REAL processing core. As for software...

[Johnny_Cipher]

Meanwhile, the solar panels slowly get covered with dust.

Seems funny that no one thought to put a whisk broom on one of the mechanical arms, doesn't it?

[FourtySeven]

Yeah, uh, I hope they're going to do the same for Opportunity, or are they gonna just let its memory clog up before they do anything there?

[Professional Engineer]

I believe the offending files have already been purged from Opportunity.