spacetoday.net: Spirit condition improves as Opportunity nears landing

Posted: Sat, Jan 24, 2004, 10:39 PM ET (0339 GMT)
Mars Exploration Rover (NASA/JPL)

Engineers have isolated the problem that has effectively shut down NASA's Mars rover Spirit and believe the problem can be resolved, officials said Saturday. Data received from the rover have led spacecraft engineers to conclude that Spirit's problem is with either its "flash" memory modules, or the software that controls those modules. They found that when they commanded Spirit to reboot and use a separate bank of random-access memory the spacecraft was more responsive than in the past. They now plan to focus on ways of increasing the data rate to the rover while they work out a long-term solution to the flash memory problem that will restore as much functionality to the spacecraft as possible. The complete process could take as long as three weeks, however. That work should not interfere with the operations of Spirit's twin, Opportunity, which will land on the opposite side of the planet at 12:05 am EST (0505 GMT) Sunday.