[December 12, 2009] Mars orbiter reactivated Tweet Dec 12, 2009 (The Arizona Daily Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, equipped with the UA's HiRISE camera, has been taken out of a precautionary safe mode after more than three months of inactivity. The reactivation comes after MRO project engineers successfully safeguarded the orbiter against a potentially fatal situation discovered in August. "We've sent up a series of changes to the vehicle to provide protection from a worst-case scenario that we have been afraid of," said MRO Project Manager Jim Erickson. The fatal scenario was discovered after the orbiter mysteriously initiated safe mode for the fourth time this year on Aug. 26. The cause of the orbiter entering this inactive phase remains a mystery. "We're looking for a variety of paths that could be the source of this problem," Erickson said. "We're not even sure that it's one problem rather than two different problems or three different problems." The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, was designed to look for evidence of water on the surface of Mars. The orbiter carries a variety of instruments for that purpose including the University of Arizona's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, which has sent back more than 12,000 images of the red planet. On Dec. 8, the orbiter resumed normal operations including reorientation of the spacecraft so the instruments once again face the Martian surface enabling the ship's solar panels to track the sun. On Monday, the team plans to begin reactivating science-gathering instruments such as the HiRISE camera. While Erickson said there is a good chance the orbiter will continue to experience problems, he is confident it will no longer jeopardize the mission. "The bottom line is that we are prepared to deal with additional safe modes." Erickson said. "I am no longer as scared or concerned that we might lose the mission if we have more of them because we've protected ourselves." The team will continue to search for the cause of the orbiter's malfunctions as it resumes full functionality. "I'm really excited to get back to doing what we're there for, which is collecting science data," Erickson said. The MRO has already completed its initial science objectives and has located a variety of potential landing sites for the Mars Science Lab Rover that will be launched in 2011. Contact NASA space grant intern Otto Ross at [email protected] or 573-4125. To see more of The Arizona Daily Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azstarnet.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]