spacetoday.net: Curiosity suffers another computer glitch

Posted: Tue, Mar 19, 2013, 6:28 AM ET (1028 GMT)
MSL self-portrait, November 2012 (NASA/JPL)

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is again in safe mode after another problem with its computers, but should resume normal operations in a few days, project officials said Monday. The rover went into safe mode Saturday night when a command file failed a "size check" by the rover's software, due to a software bug that appended an extra file to the one being checked, according to a JPL statement on Monday. Engineers expect to bring the rover out of safe mode within a few days. The rover previously encountered a problem with its "A-side" computer that put it into safe mode on February 27 as it switched to its backup B-side computer; engineers were in the process of restoring normal operations using the B-side computer when the latest glitch occurred. Project officials hope to get some additional science done with the rover before a month-long moratorium on sending commands to the rover begins on April 4. That break is caused by Mars going behind the Sun as seen from Earth, disrupting communications.