(ORDO NEWS) — NASA‘s MAVEN spacecraft went into safe mode on Feb. 16 after there was a problem with its inertia measurement unit (IMU), which measures the spacecraft’s rotational speed to determine its attitude.
On Feb 17, MAVEN exited safe mode and is currently running in all stellar mode, which is independent of IMU measurements, so the IMU can be disabled to preserve its lifespan.
Relay activities and nominal scientific operations resumed on 23 February.
MAVEN was launched in November 2013 and orbited Mars in September 2014.
The purpose of the mission is to explore the planet’s upper atmosphere, the ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind in order to investigate the loss of the Martian atmosphere.
Understanding atmospheric loss gives scientists insight into the history of Mars’ atmosphere and climate, liquid water, and the planet’s habitability.
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