Comments on: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury http://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/ Space and astronomy news Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:22:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Aquahttp://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-71095 Aqua Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:35:14 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=41787#comment-71095 Interesting how the MRO mission has had a similar series of 'signal drops' and has had to be rebooted several times recently.... Interesting how the MRO mission has had a similar series of 'signal drops' and has had to be rebooted several times recently….

]]> By: Astrofiendhttp://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-71078 Astrofiend Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:53:50 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=41787#comment-71078 Working with some fairly complex electronic/computer systems equipment myself, I can testify that when unexpected things like this happen to your remote comms, it is instant 'butterflies in the stomach'. It must have been quite the nervous 50 minute wait until comms could be re-established!Oh well - we'll just have to make do with what we have. Considering the flyby hit the required windows etc and we're now on track for the orbit insertion, I'd say that this was almost a complete success... Working with some fairly complex electronic/computer systems equipment myself, I can testify that when unexpected things like this happen to your remote comms, it is instant 'butterflies in the stomach'. It must have been quite the nervous 50 minute wait until comms could be re-established!

Oh well – we'll just have to make do with what we have. Considering the flyby hit the required windows etc and we're now on track for the orbit insertion, I'd say that this was almost a complete success…

]]> By: Aquahttp://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-71071 Aqua Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:45:00 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=41787#comment-71071 Ouch! And BUMMER! Sheesh... been waiting all this time and then PLOP~ Grrrrr... The awesome images can only hint at what was lost? Here's hoping the rest of the mission goes smoothly.I wonder if the current (No pun intended) solar minimum and subsequent high gamma ray count has anything to do with the 'signal drop'? Ouch! And BUMMER! Sheesh… been waiting all this time and then PLOP~ Grrrrr… The awesome images can only hint at what was lost? Here's hoping the rest of the mission goes smoothly.

I wonder if the current (No pun intended) solar minimum and subsequent high gamma ray count has anything to do with the 'signal drop'?

]]> By: SuperKevinhttp://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-71055 SuperKevin Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:08:28 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=41787#comment-71055 Glad to hear everything's ok. The images it took are amazing. Glad to hear everything's ok. The images it took are amazing.

]]> By: Torbjorn Larsson OMhttp://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-71050 Torbjorn Larsson OM Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:40:26 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=41787#comment-71050 Assuming it wasn't any problems with the batteries, it's another of those annoying programming faults like the one that silenced instruments on Galileo on approach. That's what you have to live with in today's complex systems.[I read that the fault tolerant systems in today's probes actually press separate software "computers" into the same hardware to save weight, power and cost. I.e. it's not only separate threads but as nearly separate cores as you can make them (as I understand it), locking one "OS" up will not affect the rest.] Assuming it wasn't any problems with the batteries, it's another of those annoying programming faults like the one that silenced instruments on Galileo on approach. That's what you have to live with in today's complex systems.

[I read that the fault tolerant systems in today's probes actually press separate software "computers" into the same hardware to save weight, power and cost. I.e. it's not only separate threads but as nearly separate cores as you can make them (as I understand it), locking one "OS" up will not affect the rest.]

]]> By: pinkhttp://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-71048 pink Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:53:06 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=41787#comment-71048 Ooh, that second picture is now my fantastic new wallpaper.Too bad about the safe mode thing. Ooh, that second picture is now my fantastic new wallpaper.

Too bad about the safe mode thing.

]]> By: Vedichttp://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/comment-page-1/#comment-71042 Vedic Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:11:30 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=41787#comment-71042 Crumbs!That's a bit of a hair-em' scare-em'. Micro-meteorite? Radiation? Power? Atmosphere?We're all sitting here with bated breath... Crumbs!

That's a bit of a hair-em' scare-em'. Micro-meteorite? Radiation? Power? Atmosphere?

We're all sitting here with bated breath…

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