January 10, 2007

Bad Software Doomed MGS

NASA Decides That A Software Error Doomed The Mars Global Surveyor Spacecraft, SpaceRef

"During a meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group Meeting in Washington DC, yesterday, NASA's John McNamee, Mars Exploration Program addressed the issue of the recent failure of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft.

Apparently incorrect software doomed the spacecraft."

NASA Panel Will Study Mars Global Surveyor Events

"Mars Global Surveyor launched in 1996 on a mission designed to study Mars from orbit for two years. It accomplished many important discoveries during nine years in orbit. On Nov. 2, the spacecraft transmitted information that one of its arrays was not pivoting as commanded. Loss of signal from the orbiter began on the following orbit."

Editor's note: Isn't it just a little odd that NASA PAO declines to mention in print what one of its own senior managers stated in a public meeting yesterday in front of hundreds of people - and the media - that flawed software which had been sent to the MGS was likely to blame for the spacecraft's failure?


Posted by kcowing at January 10, 2007 6:06 PM

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