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AsteriaStar
Operations function

Safe Mode

A protective state a spacecraft autonomously enters when it detects a serious problem — pointing its solar arrays at the Sun and its antenna toward Earth, and waiting for instructions.

In brief

A protective standby state a spacecraft enters after a fault.

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.