Chandra Enters Safe Mode; Investigation Underway

For Release: Oct. 12, 2018



NASA/CXC

At approximately 1355 GMT on October 10, 2018, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory entered Safe Mode, where the telescope’s instruments are put into a safe configuration, critical hardware is swapped to back-up units, the spacecraft points so that the solar panels get maximum sunlight, and the mirrors point away from the Sun. Analysis of available data indicates the transition to safe mode was nominal, i.e., consistent with normal behavior for such an event. All systems functioned as expected and the scientific instruments are safe. The cause of the Safe Mode transition is currently under investigation, and we will post more information when it becomes available.

Chandra is 19 years old, which is well beyond the original design lifetime of 5 years. In 2001, NASA extended its lifetime to 10 years. It is now well into its extended mission and it is expected to continue carrying out forefront science for many years to come.

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https://www.nasa.gov.

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Media Contacts:



Felicia Chou

NASA Headquarters, Washington

202-358-0257

felicia.chou@nasa.gov

Molly Porter

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama

256-544-0034

molly.a.porter@nasa.gov

Megan Watzke

Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts

617-496-7998

mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu