SEAKR records critical Mars data

During a critical 90 minutes recently when the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft entered Mars orbit, solid-state recorders from SEAKR Engineering Inc. of Englewood, Colo., were the only source of spacecraft data, SEAKR officials say. The spacecraft was unable to transmit data back to Earth during its Mars orbital insertion burn because of orbital insertion preparations and because of planet alignment. When the surveyor spacecraft finally entered Mars orbit, its on-board computer ordered the SEAKR recorders to play back orbital insertion data for scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. - J.K.