NASA manages to take Mars rover Perseverance out of safe mode

NASA has managed to get the Mars rover Perseverance out of safe mode. The rover went into a protected safe mode shortly after launch as the spacecraft got colder than planned. The robber is now working properly again.

NASA launched the Mars rover on Thursday afternoon . Although the launch was successful, the rover placed itself in safe mode after being placed in its interplanetary orbit. That happened after a sensor in the spacecraft detected more cold than expected. That would be because the vessel was in the shadow of the Earth. In that case, the rover goes preventively into safe mode, with only the basic instruments still working.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which built the rover, now says the rover has left safe mode since Friday. “By leaving safe mode we can continue our interplanetary journey,” said project manager Matt Wallace.

Shortly after the launch, it also turned out that communication with the rover was not as good as hoped. The telemetry received in the first few hours was not properly processed. That was because NASA already used the large antennas of the Deep Space Network directly to make contact with the rover. It would be too close for clear communication with the network. However, NASA and JPL had already said that it would not be a problem.