Relief for NASA as Curiosity rover gets up and running again on Mars after a week of computer glitches

One of the rover's two onboard computers had become corrupted
NASA had suspended operations, placing Curiosity in a 'safe mode'

PUBLISHED: 10:18 EST, 26 March 2013 | UPDATED: 10:18 EST, 26 March 2013

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity yesterday resumed analysis of a sample of rock powder following a computer glitch that suspended operations for a week.

Before the computer problem, results radioed back to Earth revealed that the rock, located near Curiosity's Gale Crater landing site, contains all the chemical ingredients necessary for microbial life, the over-arching goal of the planned two-year mission.

Scientists are eager for additional information about the rock sample, which was drilled out from what appears to be a slab of bedrock in an area known as Yellowknife Bay.

After back-to-back computer problems, the six-wheel Curiosity rover, seen in this self-portrait, has resumed its science experiments

Curiosity automatically suspended its work on March 17 when it detected a problem with a computer data file. The glitch occurred as the rover was recovering from an earlier, unrelated computer problem.

The unplanned work hiatus ended over the weekend, NASA's deputy project manager Jim Erickson said.

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'It's a slow recovery process, but we're back doing science,' Erickson said.

Analysis of the rock powder will continue for about another week. Beginning April 4, radio communications between Earth and Mars will be blocked by the sun for a month, suspending most of the rover's science operations again.

Driller thriller: Curiosity drilled a 2.5in-hole on February 8 to take its Martian planet sample - next to it is a shallower hole where the rover conducted its test drilling

A sample of powdered rock extracted by Curiosity, shown after the sample was transferred from the drill to the rover's scoop

When the planets re-align for communications after May 1, scientists plan to drill a second hole into the rock to verify the early results and look more closely for signs of organic carbon.

The £2billion rover landed on Mars on August 6 to assess if the planet most like Earth has or ever had the chemical ingredients and environments for microbial life.

Scientists eventually plan to drive the rover to a 3-mile (5-km) high mound of what appears to be layered sediment rising from the floor of Gale Crater.

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The dedication and hard work of NASA is truly an inspiration and I believe it will move us closer to God and allow us to greater understand His work. The intellect of these men and women is a gift from the Lord and is a testament to the devine soul of man. Perhaps in the depths of space we will someday find evidence sufficient to bring the non believers back to the way of the Lord, but those of us who have seen the light understand that evidence is not the point.

- TimothyQ , Norwich, United Kingdom, 27/3/2013 06:43

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Babalegi...Your latest post that Curiosity is an example of atheists war against Christianity is really stretching it and that telescopes are trying to to disprove god is even worse. God is a human construct, ypu cannot prove or disprove something that does not exists. When probes and telescopes are used religion is not even a consideration. If anything you have a war against science and not the science against christianity. If there was a war, relgion started it and lost hundreds of years ago..

- Quintus , Bedford, 27/3/2013 05:03

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Some Indians rang me telling me my computer had the same problem. Did NASA hand over their credit card details?

- Say what , Senseville, Australia, 27/3/2013 03:15

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"..contains all the chemical ingredients necessary for microbial life, the over-arching goal of the planned two-year mission." Interesting statement that one. 1) It is typical scientism rhetoric for 'We haven't life'. 2) The chemicals are inorganic. No one has ever demonstrated how non-life can create life without a source of intelligence to organise it and provide the necessary environment. 3) These are the same inorganic chemicals that are required to produce a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner is considerably less complex than life. So, when will Curiosity be finding vacuum cleaners on Mars? In fact, why doesn't the headline mention 'No vacuum cleaners have yet been found"? 4) It is an admission of the atheist war against Christianity, that the over-arching mission is to try and find life. It is the same with the Voyager missions, the ever-increasing telescopes, etc. It is not to pursue science, but to try and find some sort of evidence to disprove God.

- Babalegi , Northern Transvaal, 26/3/2013 23:53

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How did it take a picture of itself? MacAttacks +++++. The self-portrait is a mosaic of many photos. The camera (search MAHLI) was on the end of a robotic arm that moved between shots, and the mosaic is made of the ones that didn't show the arm - Expat Rob , Brisbane, Australia, +++++ I just checked and it would appear you are right, what a clever little robot it is :)

- mac attacks , Aber-doom, United Kingdom, 26/3/2013 23:35

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- Expat Rob , Brisbane, Australia, 26/3/2013 23:01

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How did it take a picture of itself? - mac attacks , Aber-doom, United Kingdom, 26/3/2013 21:41==== I am surprised mac never got loads of red arrows here, but quite correct mac, a good question.

- William , Bangkok, 26/3/2013 22:17

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How did it take a picture of itself?

- mac attacks , Aber-doom, United Kingdom, 26/3/2013 21:41

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Sounds like an episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'!

- bavarianpete , Altenau, 26/3/2013 21:20

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BLOODY WINDOWS VISTA

- common sensi , london, United Kingdom, 26/3/2013 20:38

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