NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin yesterday named Dr. Timothy Coffey to head the Mars Observer investigation board. D.C. It is NASA's standard policy to implement an independent review when there is cause to believe that a mission's primary objective cannot be met. The Mars Observer flight team has not been able to reestablish communication with the spacecraft despite repeated efforts to prompt the spacecraft to respond. Commands are sent to the spacecraft assuming it is in orbit around Mars, and to another area of the sky assuming the spacecraft flew by Mars and is now in a heliocentric orbit around the sun. This mode is more serious than the contingency mode that Mars Observer was switching to during its cruise to Mars.
Safe mode is entered in response to a spacecraft hardware anomaly.
Flight controllers will wait 65 hours to hear back from the spacecraft. In attempts to regain communication with Mars Observer, a number of theories have surfaced. However, at this time, it is not known what caused the loss of communication nor can any blame for any particular part or process be assigned. It is NASA's standard policy to implement an independent review when there is cause to believe that a mission's primary objective cannot be met. Yesterday, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin named Dr. Timothy Coffey as head of the Mars Observer investigation board.