NASA's MAVEN spacecraft encountered a critical issue three months ago, and the team almost lost one of its most precious spacecraft.
Back in February, after a three-hour presentation meant to get MAVEN’s mission extended, Shannon Curry, the spacecraft’s principal investigator, received a phone call that it had gone into safe mode.
Once contact resumed, however, they found that MAVEN was unable to tell its current attitude from either IMU. Because these systems act as the navigational tools for MAVEN’s orbit, it made it impossible for the team to know exactly where the spacecraft was at any given point in time.
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NASA's Mars MAVEN spacecraft spent 3 months on the brink of disasterMeghan is a senior writer at Space.com and has more than five years' experience as a science journalist based in New York City. She joined Space.com in July 2018, with previous writing published in outlets including Newsweek and Audubon. Meghan earned an MA in science journalism from New York University and a BA in classics from Georgetown University, and in her free time she enjoys reading and visiting museums. Follow her on Twitter at meghanbartels.
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