Nyrath Posted October 1, 2009 Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 http://www.universetoday.com/2009/09/30/messenger-went-into-safe-mode-approaching-mercury/ The MESSENGER spacecraft went into safe mode just before its closest approach of Mercury on Sept. 29. Although the instruments were taking data as the spacecraft came near the planet during this third flyby of the mission, after going into safe mode, no further data or pictures were obtained. And thus the hidden staging base of the invasion force from the dreaded Blortch Empire had its secrecy maintained. A simple artificial cosmic ray to crash the MESSENGER's computer, and us puny humans will have no warning of the coming invasion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Re: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury I didn't know spacecraft had a safe mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Re: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury I didn't know spacecraft had a safe mode. It's fairly common for solar-power only probes; it closes down all non-essential operations to extend battery power and ensure the probe doesn't go offline altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrath Posted October 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Re: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury It is also common to have a safe mode for the spacecraft's computer. If the computer actually crashes, your spacecraft has suddenly been transformed into a $425 million pile of flying junk. The computers are designed so if there is any glitch, it abruptly reverts to a safe mode so that the problem can be remotely fixed by mission control. This is because you cannot send somebody from Geeks On Call to Mercury orbit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Re: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury It is also common to have a safe mode for the spacecraft's computer. If the computer actually crashes, your spacecraft has suddenly been transformed into a $425 million pile of flying junk. The computers are designed so if there is any glitch, it abruptly reverts to a safe mode so that the problem can be remotely fixed by mission control. This is because you cannot send somebody from Geeks On Call to Mercury orbit. Yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPheemy Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Re: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury God NO! Not the Blortch again!! Quick, someone get the President! It's time for Doctor Captain Adventure (!) to fly to Mercury again! Hopefully the Adventure (!) Cadets stand ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Re: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury That's what they get for running windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Re: MESSENGER Went Into Safe Mode Approaching Mercury This is because you cannot send somebody from Geeks On Call to Mercury orbit. You said "Yet", I was gonna say "Legally" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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