re command loss timer re galileo update in article apr bnr ca agc bmdhh bnr ca alan carter writes in article apr kelvin jpl nasa gov baalke kelvin jpl nasa gov ron baalke writes on april a no op command was sent to reset the command loss timer to hours its planned value during this mission phase this activity is regularly reported in ron s interesting posts could someone explain what the command loss timer is the command loss timer is part of the fault protection scheme of the spacecraft if the command loss timer ever countdowns to zero then the spacecraft assumes it has lost communications with earth and will go through a set of predetermined steps to try to regain contact the command loss timer is set to hours and reset about once a week during the cruise phase and is set to a lower value during an encounter phase ron baalke baalke kelvin jpl nasa gov jet propulsion lab m s telos the aweto from new zealand pasadena ca is part caterpillar and part vegetable
