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1993-04-21
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OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. TELEPHONE 354-5011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 17, 1972
A malfunction aboard the Mariner 9 spacecraft orbiting
Mars led Jet Proplusion Laboratory engineers today to tempor-
arily turn off the cameras and other scientific instruments.
The source of the malfunction is unknown but could be in the
onboard computer or in some other system affecting the com-
puter. Science instruments were turned off to allow engineers
time to analyze the problem.
The spacecraft, now in its 250th orbit of Mars, other-
wise is operating properly, the engineers said. Mariner 9 suc-
cessfully completed its primary objective on Febrary 11 and has
returned about 7000 pictures of Mars and mapped 85 per cent of
the planet's surface in less than 120 days.
An internal check-out procedure in the computer fol-
lowing the loading of a series of commands has indicated the
malfuction. The check-out produced the wrong answer for ground
controllers. It does not however, indicate the source of the
problem which will require analysis.
JPL engineers expressed confidence that the problem
will be corrected in time to continue the study of Mars fol-
-more-
-2-
lowing a period from April 2 to June 4 when science information
is due to be suspended because the spacecraft will pass into the
shadow of Mars, on each orbit.
This period of time will require operating the space-
craft on battery power when Mars obscures the Sun. Subsequent
operations to recharge the battery prohibits taking of science
information during the 65-day period. Data gathering would
resume in June but on a limited basis due to the increasing
Mars-Earth distance and the requirement that the spacecraft be
turned to point its high-gain antenna at Earth in order to
transmit data. The latter maneuver is required because, since
the end of the basic mission, Earth has been moving out of the
beam of the high-gain antenna.
Mariner 9 is currently 175 million miles from Earth
and each round trip signal requires some 31 minutes.
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3/17/72
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