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1993-04-21
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P└OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. TELEPHONE 354-5011
MARINER 9 STATUS
NASA's Mariner 9 has resumed its scientific examin-
ation of Mars following an intensive engineering analysis of a
possible problem on the spacecraft.
Forty-four television pictures of the planet -- taken
and recorded during orbits 259 to 262 yesterday and Wednesday
-- were played back to Earth last night and early today along
with data from the other science instruments. The pictures are
the last to be taken by Mariner 9 until the first week of June.
Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory had turned
off the cameras and other instruments last Friday to diagnose a
malfunction in the spacecraft's onboard computer. A route in-
ternal check-out procedure in the computer after transmission
of a series of commands had indicated to ground controllers
that some elements of the spacecraft might not be operating
properly.
Trouble-shooting procedures, conducted throughout the
week, indicated Mariner 9's computer and its other systems are
now working properly. Cause of the problem could not be deter-
mined and it has not arisen again. If the problem recurs,
-more-
-2-
however, engineers at JPL believe they can work around it and
that the mission will not be jeopardized.
The data playback was a combination of meaningful
science information and an engineering test in preparation for
Mariner 9's extended mission operations planned for next summer
and fall.
The spacecraft was maneuvered yesterday so that its
high-gain antenna was pointed at Earth. The maneuver was re-
quired because, since completion of the basic mission in
February, Earth has moved out of the beam of the highly direc-
tional antenna. This same procedure must be followed for play-
back of pictures during the extended mission.
During the next week, Mariner operations will emphasize
continued engineering analysis. Science instruments will be
turned off no later than orbit 276 on March 30.
From April 2 until June 4, the spacecraft will pass
through the shadow of Mars, once each orbit, from a few seconds
to as long as 100 minutes. During this period, Mariner must
operate on battery power while Mars obscures the sun.
Mariner will make its 400th revolution of the planet
on May 31. During the following week, science operations will
resume on a limited basis. About once each week, until the
mission ends, the spacecraft will record pictures and other data
for transmission to Earth after an antenna maneuver. Antici-
pated end of extended mission activities is November, 1972.
more
-3-
The Mariner today is 179 million miles from Earth. It
was launched nearly 10 months ago and has been in orbit around
Mars since last November 13. Primary objectives of the mission
were completed on February 11 and Mariner 9 has returned about
7000 pictures of Mars and mapped 85 percent of the planet.
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