[meteorite-list] Mars Odyssey Spacecraft Reboots Successfully

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:43:49 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200903120143.SAA25230_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-046

Odyssey Spacecraft Reboots Successfully
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
March 11, 2009

Mars Odyssey Mission Status Report

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter properly followed
commands today to shut down and restart, a strategy by its engineers to
clear any memory flaws accumulated in more than five years since
Odyssey's last reboot.

The procedure also restored Odyssey's onboard set of backup systems,
called the spacecraft's "B side," allowing its use in the future when
necessary.

"For nearly two years, we have not known for certain whether the backup
systems would be usable, so this successful reboot has allowed us to
ascertain their health and availability for future use," said Odyssey
Project Manager Philip Varghese of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif.

Odyssey has been orbiting Mars since 2001 and has never switched from
its primary set of components, the "A side," to the backup set, which
includes an identical computer processor, navigation sensors, relay
radio and other components. In March 2006, the B-side spare of a
component for managing the distribution of power became inoperable.
Analysis by engineers identified a possibility that rebooting Odyssey
might restore that component, which proved to be a side benefit of
today's procedure to refresh onboard memory.

The Odyssey team began a series of steps after the reboot to carefully
return the spacecraft to full functioning over the next few days.
Following that path, the science instruments will be back to studying
Mars by next week.

An unexpected rise in temperature of the star camera in Odyssey's
navigation system on March 9 had prompted a postponement of the
rebooting originally scheduled for the next day. Engineers identified
the cause as a heater circuit that was temporarily stuck "on." The
circuit was turned off before today's reboot.

JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena,
manages Mars Odyssey for the NASA Science Mission Directorate,
Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime
contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. Additional
information about Odyssey is at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/odyssey .

Media contacts: Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
guy.webster at jpl.nasa.gov

2009-046
Received on Wed 11 Mar 2009 09:43:49 PM PDT