--- title: "NASA’s New Rover Hit a Glitch After Launch, Entered “Safe Mode”" description: "Glitches and Miscommunications NASA’s launch of its Perseverance Mars rover went down without a single hitch yesterday — well, almost. Shortly after rocketing into orbit atop a massive Atlas V rocket, the rover experienced a couple of small hiccups: a minor communications and temperature glitch, as Space.com reports. Luckily, neither SNAFUs will have any lasting […]" date: "2020-07-31" modified: "2020-07-31" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-rover-glitch-safe-mode" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "mars" - "mars 2020" - "NASA" - "perseverance" - "the digest" --- # NASA’s New Rover Hit a Glitch After Launch, Entered “Safe Mode” ![Shortly after rocketing into orbit, NASA's Perseverance rover experienced a couple of small hiccups: a minor communications and temperature glitch.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Glitch Mob NASA's [launch]() of its Perseverance Mars rover went down without a single hitch yesterday — well, almost. Shortly after rocketing into orbit atop a massive Atlas V rocket, the rover experienced a couple of small hiccups: a minor communications and temperature glitch, [as *Space.com* reports](). Luckily, neither glitch will have any lasting effects on the mission, according to NASA. The agency confirmed that the rover went into "safe mode" thanks to "a temperature limit set a bit too strictly," as Eric Berger, senior space editor at *Ars Technica*, put it in [a tweet](). Along with a gain issue relating to ground antennas, both issues have already been addressed. "Kudos to NASA for the transparency," Berger added. ## Safe Mode In other words, NASA says that Perseverance has, well, persevered through the minor setbacks. "When a spacecraft enters safe mode, all but essential systems are turned off until it receives new commands from mission control," read a post-launch [NASA statement](). "Data indicate the spacecraft had entered a state known as safe mode, likely because a part of the spacecraft was a little colder than expected while Mars 2020 was in Earth's shadow." The telemetry issue was caused by the spacecraft being too close to take advantage of the Deep Space Network, an international array of massive spacecraft communication facilities. That proximity caused comms from the rover to blast the system "like someone screaming directly into your ear," as *Space.com* put it. "All temperatures are now nominal and the spacecraft is out of Earth's shadow," reads NASA's statement. **READ MORE:** [NASA: Mars rover Perseverance in 'safe mode' after launch, but should recover]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on the launch:** *[NASA Blasts Off Most Sophisticated Mars Mission in Human History]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()