The European Space Agency will update the Mars Express spacecraft from software made with Windows 98

Update (12:22 PM, June 27, 2022): This post has been updated to reflect that the MARSIS instrument was designed with a Windows 98-based development environment.

What you need to know:

  • The Mars Express spacecraft, which launched in 2003, will receive a software update to improve the data it sends to Earth.
  • Currently, the boat runs on an operating system created with Windows 98.
  • The Mars Express houses the MARSIS instrument, which helped detect signs of liquid water on Mars.

Windows 8.1 may be about to come out, but the European Space Agency (ESA) has an older operating system to deal with. The Mars Express spacecraft needs to be upgraded from its operating system that was created with Windows 98-based tools. The MARSIS instrument, which was used to detect signs of liquid water on Mars, is in the spaceship. A software update will allow the device to see what is beneath the surface of the red planet in more detail, according to ESA.

“After decades of fruitful science and having acquired a good understanding of Mars, we wanted to push the performance of the instrument beyond some of the necessary limitations when the mission began,” said Andrea Cicchetti, Deputy IP and director of operations of MARSIS.

“We faced a number of challenges to improve MARSIS’ performance, ”Carlo Nenna said. “No less important because MARSIS software was originally designed over 20 years ago, using a Microsoft Windows 98-based development environment!”

The Mars Express software update will improve signal reception and onboard data processing. This will increase the amount of data that can be sent to Earth and improve the quality of that data.

Signals received earlier indicated that liquid water could be present in several regions near the south pole of Mars. The software update should provide more detailed information about these areas.

“The new software will help us study these regions more quickly and extensively in high resolution and confirm if they are home to new water sources on Mars. It’s really like having a new instrument aboard Mars Express almost 20 years later of the launch. “said Colin Wilson, an ESA Mars Express scientist.

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