Photo from open sources
A third-generation Curiosity rover sent by NASA to Mars has already made a huge contribution to the study of humanity Red planet. However, as it turned out, at the very beginning of its mission, this robot suddenly refused to follow the orders of the operators and almost ceased to function. About this representatives American National Space Agency decided to tell world community just now.
An advanced planet rover, as you know, marched on August 6, 2012 years, half a century after the start of the study by the fourth person remoteness from the sun of the planet. According to the functionality of “Curiosity” on head surpasses its predecessors. This rover is not capable of only take pictures, but also take Martian samples soil and produce their mineralogical analysis. It all has to was to allow NASA to get important information about the Red Planet and thereby prepare for the expedition to it.
A photo from open sources
Engineer rob manning reports that to implement all of these processes, the robot is equipped with two peculiar “think tanks”, performing the functions of the first and second pilots. Planet rover continuously performs complex calculations, periodically sending them to Earth in the command center. However, after six months after the start of the Curiosity mission suddenly began to show ghosts real rebellion. And it happened as follows.
The main computer serving as the first pilot rover, in the case of any problems triggers self-diagnosis. At the beginning of 2013, memory rover just rover rover and he automatically started Look for ways to fix this problem. Since the problem is not resolved, the first “brain center” was supposed to transfer control to his partner, however, for an unknown reason, did not. “The computer began to arbitrarily and literally show character. We wanted to give him a nap, but for some reason he did not go to sleep mode. Rover refused to take pictures and then completely stopped any research activity. We were scared by this turn of events to death, “- says Manning.
A photo from open sources
Of course, NASA could not put up with such apostasy and made every effort to bring Curiosity back into operation. Rob Manning personally made risky activation decisions rebel car. Engineer shuts down the host computer Mars rover, so that then the second “pilot” took control. This the procedure was fraught with great risk, because if the second computer failed to activate, then the entire mission cost 2.5 billion dollars could go down the drain.
However, after a few seconds of longing the system nevertheless showed signs of life: the second computer loaded everything necessary data and directs the work of the planet rover so far. Despite this, NASA engineers do not exclude that in the future Curiosity may again begin to be equitable. Unfortunately, in this case the Americans will no longer have a spare computer to transfer him control the rover.
Mars NASA Robots Mars Rover Curiosity
