After 5-years in a Marshan slumber NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter woke up refreshed on Wednesday, after being rebooted to clear its memory of the accumulated effects of space radiation said New Scientist.
"For nearly two years, we have not known for certain whether the backup systems would be usable," Philip Varghese, Odyssey's project manager, said in a statement. "This successful reboot has allowed us to ascertain their health and availability for future use."
The Mars Odyssey has been orbiting around our closest planet neighbour since it was launched back in 2001. It was even named after Author C. Clark/Stanley Kurbics 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Odyssey, the longest-serving spacecraft currently orbiting Mars, has been the prime communications relay for the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. (If Odyssey were to fail, the rovers could relay data through NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter or Europe's Mars Express orbiter. They also have the capability to relay data directly to Earth.)
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