Software Error Likely Killed MGS Spacecraft

Aglassis writes "NASA investigators have determined that a software update performed in June of 2006 may have doomed the 10-year-old spacecraft. Apparently the software error caused the solar arrays to drive against a mechanical stop which then forced the spacecraft into safe mode. Unfortunately, after that the spacecraft's radiator was pointed at the sun which overheated the battery and destroyed it. Contact was lost with the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in November 2006. NASA will form an internal review board to determine formally the cause of the loss of the spacecraft and what remedial actions are needed for future missions."

Don't believe it

[LiquidCoooled]

I don't believe it.
Its most likely the Martian automated defense system setup just before we sent a probe and destroyed their civilisation [slashdot.org].

Battery

[Anonymous Coward]

overheated the battery and destroyed it

Have NASA been using Dell batteries?

*phew*

[Daetrin]

NASA investigators have determined that a software update performed in June of 2006 may have doomed the 10-year-old spacecraft. Apparently the software error caused the solar arrays to drive against a mechanical stop which then forced the spacecraft into safe mode.

Glad i'm not the programmer who came up with that bit of code! Their next performace review is going to be _lots_ of fun!

"Safe" mode?

[Bazman]

Funny definition of 'safe mode'. I'd get the main antenna pointing at the earth, the battery radiator pointing away from the sun, and the computer going 'what do I do know, smarty earthlings?' and waiting for a command.

Maybe NASA's 'safe mode' just put 'safe mode' in the corners of all the returned images and did them in 8-bit colour...

Pilot said....

[isieo]

Houston, I B.S.O.Ded

zing!

[steak]

that was the sound of me hitting the bullseye.

[quote]at least if something went wrong some guy at nasa could tell his grand kids that he bricked something from ~140 million miles away.[/quote]

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=214508&cid=174 27542 [slashdot.org]

Re:YACCS -Yet Another Computer Corkup in Space

[unix_core]

I think I've seen some of those, starring Troy McLure right?

Re:What is Microsoft wrote it?

[the_humeister]

I don't know. And people with their "keyboard" and "mouse." Idiots I say. The only true way to interact with a computer is by plugging wires into the serial port and generating the necessary electrical pulses myself.

Luxury!

[avronius]

We used to live in a vacuum tube. When the computer was running, and your bit was accessed, you almost had enough light to read by. Mother would disconnect the tube when she went to bed, causing floating point errors for almost eight clock-cycles...

Or at least, that's how I remember it...

O_O

[Vacardo]

Well, that's that tops my list on "Worst Times to Get the Blue Screen of Death".

For the record.. NOT MY CODE!

[davido42]

Just sayin.

Not like I've ever worked for NASA.