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Mars Express Probe Has Power Problem
By SPACE.com Staff
posted: 11:56 am ET
02 July 2003
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express_update_030702 Europes Mars Express satellite has lost 30 percent of its power-generating ability and likely will be forced to restrict its instruments use once it begins operations in Mars orbit in late December, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced July 2. ESA ground controllers continue to verify the collective health of Mars Express/Beagle 2 after being hurled toward the red planet a month ago. Signals to each of the seven instruments on Mars Express have verified their status. The orbiter's subsystems have also been evaluated. A key milestone is slated July 4-5 with checkout of the British-built Beagle 2 lander. Testing has not been trouble-free. In one instance one of the on-board computer memory units, known as the Solid State Mass Memory (SSMM), seemed to not respond properly during the instruments check-out. ESA now reports "good progress" has been made on this issue in the last few days. A test involving all instruments was completed successfully by recording and recovering data through the SSMM. Another trouble spot is in the power subsystem. An interconnection problem has found between the solar arrays and the power-conditioning unit on board the spacecraft. There is a 30 percent loss of power churned out by the orbiter's solar arrays. This power shortage will impact some payload operations once the Mars Express starts science gathering as it circles the planet. The checkout of Beagle 2 in the next few days is the last of the payload tests. "Overall, the spacecraft is in good shape. We are simply getting to know its personality," said Rudolf Schmidt, Mars Express Project Manager in an ESA statement.
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