On November 28, 2024, at 14:20 UTC, one of Terra's power-transmitting shunt units failed. As a result, there was insufficient total power to maintain functionality of all the instruments. A response team reviewed Terra’s status and discussed potential impacts and options. Consequently, the team changed the battery charge rate and reduced spacecraft power demands by placing the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument into Safe Mode. This decision was made based on earlier discussions between the ASTER Science Team, Terra Project Scientist, Terra Instrument Teams, and the Flight Operations Team (influenced by the fact that ASTER is the largest power user on Terra). As a result, ASTER data are not currently being collected. All other instruments, including Terra MODIS, have continued data acquisitions without interruption. The engineering team will continue to closely monitor Terra’s power output. Discussions are continuing on how ASTER can resume limited operations in the near future. Stay tuned for future updates on ASTER’s status.
The following ASTER datasets have been impacted by this power issue.
Thank you for your patience during this Safe Mode event. We offer our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
Please contact LP DAAC User Services with any questions or concerns.