The Mars Curiosity Rover has had some computer problems over the last few weeks that have seen it in and out of safe mode and switched from A-side to B-side computers and back. At last report, the rover was back in safe mode after another software glitch. The latest round of computer problems didn’t last long though, and the rover’s Twitter account announced it is back in action with it’s systems up and running.
This most recent switch to safe mode was the result of a corrupted file in the rover’s systems, and was not expected to be a difficult fix. The rover certainly deserves a break after finding that an ancient “Gray Mars” could have once supported life, so no one can really fault Curiosity for taking a little “me time” and getting its systems in order. The rover announced its return to functionality on its Twitter account, because that’s the world we live in now:
Don’t call it a comeback: I’m out of safe mode & ready to resume science operations [mission status] go.nasa.gov/YmVyer
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) March 19, 2013
Although the computer system is up and running, the rover still needs a little time to make sure everything is normal before getting back to work. It’s kind of like how when you’re home sick for a few days from work, you try to take that extra day even though you feel better to just kind get back in the full swing of things.
Part of this process will be a test run of the rover’s arm with its now fully operational B-side computer, which was sent information on the current position of the arm from the A-side computer last week. This shouldn’t take too long though, and NASA scientists are ambitious about Curiosity’s speedy recovery. Mission Manager Jennifer Trosper of NASA’s JPL said, “We expect to get back to sample-analysis science by the end of the week.”
That’s good to hear. Now get back back out there and do some science, little buddy!
(via NASA, image via IntelFreePress)
- Here’s why Curiosity went into safe mode this time
- Curiosity snapped this panorama of Mount Hood that looks like Tatooine
- Ancient Mars could have sustained life
