re command loss timer re galileo update in article apr bnr ca jcobban bnr ca jim cobban writes having read in the past about the fail safe mechanisms on spacecraft i had assumed that the command loss timer had that sort of function however i always find disturbing the oxymoron of a no op command that does something if the command changes the behavior or status of the spacecraft it is not a no op command i know its semantics but the no op doesn t do anything the command loss timer is simply looking for a command any command a no op is simply a spacecraft command that drops bits into the big bit bucket in the sky no op also get used as timekeepers to provide millisecond delays between command sequences used on the thruster preps on gro er compton and to verify command links at the beginning of tdrs events all in all a rather useful command and an intelligent fdc test on galileo the command loss timer david w gsfc still looking for gro data even though i m the wrong david
