(ORDO NEWS) — According to NASA, the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) space probe, engaged in the study of Mars, “survived” a massive hardware failure.
On February 16, 2023, MAVEN was sent into safe mode when, in preparation for a small maneuver, a malfunction was detected in the operation of the inertial measurement modules (IMUs), which ensure the correct orientation of the spacecraft in space.
On February 17, engineers managed to get MAVEN out of safe mode, and on February 23, it resumed operation. Now MAVEN uses star trackers for navigation instead of IMU.
Let me remind you that the MAVEN probe, which entered the orbit of the Red Planet in October 2014, was studying the Martian atmosphere and its evolution.
Over the years, the device has measured the rate of gas leakage from the gaseous shell of the planet, assessed the influence of solar activity on this process, discovered a new type of auroras, and also made observations of McNaught’s comet.
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