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NASA Gives Mars Rovers Software Upgrade
Associated Press ^
| Apr 13, 2004
| Associated Press
Posted on 04/13/2004 1:27:45 PM PDT by BenLurkin
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - NASA said Tuesday it has beamed new software to its twin Mars rovers that should allow the six-wheeled vehicles to travel farther, sleep better and avoid the type of computer glitches that temporarily paralyzed one of them.
The software update should make the rest of the mission undertaken by Spirit and Opportunity safer and more productive, NASA said.
NASA sent the $820 million pair of rovers to Mars to prospect for evidence that the now-frozen planet once had water. Both have found such evidence. The space agency recently extended the mission through September.
The new software, beamed across 188 million miles of space, should permit Spirit to travel longer distances across the rocky terrain by allowing it to independently negotiate obstacles that previously stumped its navigation software. Opportunity's landing site on the far side of the planet is relatively obstacle-free.
A second part of the software package should allow the rovers to recover from computer memory problems like the one that struck Spirit less than three weeks into its mission.
The third portion should allow Opportunity to enter into "deep sleep" mode at night. That will cut off electricity to a stuck heater that had been coming on unnecessarily.
NASA feared that the power drain could curtail Opportunity's mission. NASA has no plans to use "deep sleep" on Spirit unless it becomes necessary.
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Miscellaneous; US: California
KEYWORDS: mars; marsrover; nasa; spirit
1
posted on
04/13/2004 1:27:46 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
To: BenLurkin
Look for "Rover Service Pack 1a" to fix everything they just busted with the new release. :)
2
posted on
04/13/2004 1:34:06 PM PDT
by
Daus
To: Daus
hehe, I can just imagine the rovers running Windows.
The next images they get will have "l33t hax0r 0wnz j00. w00t!" across the top.
To: antiRepublicrat
To: Daus
Never buy version 1.0 of anything.
5
posted on
04/13/2004 4:14:13 PM PDT
by
the lone wolf
(Good Luck, and watch out for stobor.)
To: BenLurkin
Wouldn't it be grand if NASA got back the following message "REMIND ME AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS"?
To: Senator Pardek; zeugma; xm177e2; XBob; whizzer; wirestripper; vp_cal; VOR78; Virginia-American; ...
"REMIND ME AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS"? . . . Plausible deny-ability, Senator.
If you'd like to be on or off this MARS ping list please FRmail me.
7
posted on
04/13/2004 9:12:21 PM PDT
by
Phil V.
To: BenLurkin
In a related story, the European Union is furious that NASA continues to monopolize the Martian market, and has insisted that JPL release the Spirit/Opportunity operating system source code. Also, they plan to levy heavy payola... er, no, fines... against JPL for writing code so much bloody better than anyone else on the planet.
8
posted on
04/13/2004 9:23:54 PM PDT
by
Starve The Beast
(I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused)
To: the lone wolf
Nice tag line...
9
posted on
04/13/2004 9:24:58 PM PDT
by
null and void
(Imagine a world where the "F" in f'in in Kerry stood for FReeper...)
To: null and void
Thank You
10
posted on
04/13/2004 11:01:07 PM PDT
by
the lone wolf
(Good Luck, and watch out for stobor.)
To: Phil V.
New cat...............FRegards
11
posted on
04/13/2004 11:44:18 PM PDT
by
gonzo
(Y'know, crime just don't pay like it used to..............)
To: Starve The Beast
In another related story from Salt Lake City, SCO Corp. claimed ownership of Mars.
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