Webb instrument back in operation
Engineers have returned NIRISS, the near infrared spectrograph instrument on the Webb Space Telescope, to full operation after rebooting its software and determining the cause of the problem.
On Jan. 15, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) experienced a communications delay within the science instrument, causing its flight software to time out. Following a full investigation by NASA and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) teams, the cause was determined to likely be a galactic cosmic ray, a form of high-energy radiation from outside our solar system that can sometimes disrupt electrical systems. Encountering cosmic rays is a normal and expected part of operating any spacecraft. This cosmic ray event affected logic in the solid-state circuitry of NIRISS electronics known as the Field Programmable Gate Array. Webb engineers determined that rebooting the instrument would bring it back to full functionality.
After completing the reboot, NIRISS telemetry data demonstrated normal timing, and to fully confirm, the team scheduled a test observation. On Jan. 28, the Webb team sent commands to the instrument to perform the observation, and the results confirmed on Jan. 30 NIRISS is back to full scientific operations.
Engineers actually have a name for such cosmic ray incidents that effect software. They call it a bitflip.
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Engineers have returned NIRISS, the near infrared spectrograph instrument on the Webb Space Telescope, to full operation after rebooting its software and determining the cause of the problem.
On Jan. 15, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) experienced a communications delay within the science instrument, causing its flight software to time out. Following a full investigation by NASA and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) teams, the cause was determined to likely be a galactic cosmic ray, a form of high-energy radiation from outside our solar system that can sometimes disrupt electrical systems. Encountering cosmic rays is a normal and expected part of operating any spacecraft. This cosmic ray event affected logic in the solid-state circuitry of NIRISS electronics known as the Field Programmable Gate Array. Webb engineers determined that rebooting the instrument would bring it back to full functionality.
After completing the reboot, NIRISS telemetry data demonstrated normal timing, and to fully confirm, the team scheduled a test observation. On Jan. 28, the Webb team sent commands to the instrument to perform the observation, and the results confirmed on Jan. 30 NIRISS is back to full scientific operations.
Engineers actually have a name for such cosmic ray incidents that effect software. They call it a bitflip.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
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Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
*affect. “Effect” means to create the software.
I mean, I’ve been enjoying the “Three Body Problem” show from Tencent too, but . . .
Paul Schillito, of Curious Droid, did a video a couple of years ago on sending data back from deep space probes. Although he doesn’t get into the interesting parts, such as signal processing (both onboard and on the ground), data handling, and data compression or handling bit flips, data dropouts, or interruption events, it is a good primer on data gathering methods and why the instruments are not necessarily the state of the art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrD1oe5_zvw (15 minutes)
Troubleshooting problems is thought out extensively during the design phase, and when there are problems, a fix is not assumed (just reboot and see if that clears it up) but are carefully analyzed to make sure that the “solution” will not make matters worse.
Unfortunately, not all planning and design works out as intended:
https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/design-flaw-in-indias-mars-orbiter/
From the linked article in the above BTB link:
[ellipses in original]
As Robert wrote in his post: “They are re-purposing the instrument to measure the reflected sunlight coming off the Martian surface ”
However, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) probe did some good work: https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/indias-mars-orbiter-confirms-global-dust-storms-speeds-atmosphere-loss/ but ran out of attitude control propellants last year and its mission has ended.
The Webb telescope is returning excellent data that has shaken up the astronomical community with a new controversy:
https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-didnt-break-big-bang-explained