Stuck in Safe Mode, DSCOVR Earth-Watching Satellite May Finally Get Fixed: Report

An Earth-observing satellite called DSCOVR has been stuck in safe mode for three months, and its operators finally have a plan to reboot it — but not for another few months.

DSCOVR, which is short for the Deep Space Climate Observatory, fell silent on June 27 because of a glitch in its position-maintenance system that prompted mission managers to put the spacecraft into a “safehold.” The spacecraft was launched by NASA and is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOAA, NASA and an unnamed company have figured out a potential fix that looks promising, but they won’t implement it until early next year, according to a report by SpaceNews. That fix targets the spacecraft’s software, but the agencies have not provided any additional information on the issue or why the fix is proceeding so slowly.

Related: The DSCOVR Mission in Photos
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