ESP_013948_1410, the kind of data we can't wait to get more of!

We are now returning to our normal mode of operations after several long months of being in safe mode. The anomaly on August 26th was the last in a series of computer glitches on board the MRO spacecraft that caused a reboot. The engineering teams have been working incredibly hard to get the anomaly figured out and prevent a possible side-effect from causing really serious problems. While they may not understand the original problem, and there is a chance it may happen again, they’re confident that at least it will not threaten the mission, so they’ve given us the go-ahead to resume normal operations.

Safe mode is a way of running the spacecraft where all of the science instruments are turned off and quiet. We still receive engineering telemetry so we can monitor temperatures and voltages. There are also “survival” heaters that prevent HiRISE from getting too cold in this mode.

During this time, the uplink operations staff has gotten a little restless. (more…)

During the Transition Phase, we’ve been having daily “tag-up” telecons at 7:30 AM. (A telecon is a meeting held over the telephone.) It’s a chance for everyone to get on the same page, because it’s been an incredibly complicated and hectic time. We hear about any issues on the spacecraft and review past and upcoming activities. All the different teams give quick updates on their status (Navigation, Flight Engineering Team, all the instrument SOTs — Science Operations Teams — that’s us!). The telecons are usually very short and business-like, because everyone’s been so busy.

This morning, however, we got a break and didn’t have to call in until 9 AM (finally, I got to sleep in! ). When I dialed in, I thought I had called the wrong number! Everyone on the phone was laughing and joking around — very unlike any other tagup meeting I’ve attended. People were very happy and excited to finally see the data from all the instruments. Everyone has been working so hard, and this is the ultimate reward.

The teams all agreed that everything is going well. Congratulations were shared all around!

All of us at HiRISE are grateful for all the hard work the spacecraft teams have done to get us to Mars. We couldn’t do it without them!