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Steve
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United States - Member - New Member Fans of Old Computers - PDP 11 - New Member Hobbies - HAM Radio - New Member

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Software Glitch Probably Killed Mars Global Surveyor

01/11/2007 4:39 PM

According to NASA Watch, The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group, meeting in Crystal City Va., yesterday announced their preliminary finding that a software upgrade, uploaded in June of 2006, probably killed the ten year old Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.

Contact with the Mars Global Surveyor was lost in November.

The Analysis Group's preliminary estimate is that the software upgrade corrupted some memory which eventually caused radiator for the battery to be pointed at the sun - causing the battery to heat up and fail.

John McNamee, of the Mars Exploration Program, emphasized that these results are preliminary.
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Pathfinder Tags: Mars Mars Global Surveyor software bug
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PlbMak
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#1

Re: Software Glitch Probably Killed Mars Global Surveyor

01/12/2007 3:33 AM

OK. Now we know the guys at NASA don't use PC's, or they would never have tried that stunt.

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masu
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#2

Re: Software Glitch Probably Killed Mars Global Surveyor

01/12/2007 10:25 AM

Yet another perfectly good piece of hardware bites the dust due to a software upgrade.

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mgaulin
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Software Glitch Probably Killed Mars Global Surveyor

01/12/2007 10:35 AM

That which lives by the software, dies by the software.

(Unless it's the hardware, and I'd check that first.)

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