[time-nuts] Space mission comes to an end becuase of a "computer time tagging" problem

[Bill Hawkins]

Well, since this thread has recurred and there seem to be people with
good knowledge here, I've got to ask how a spacecraft that has lost
its ability to aim antennas at Earth or align solar panels with the
sun could possibly be diagnosed with having a time tagging problem?
Jim Lux pretty well demolished the idea that time had anything to do
with it, IMHO.

Seems to me that the DSN doesn't listen to Deep Impact continuously
because it has other spacecraft to track. So there's no growing
anomaly to indicate a future problem. One time communication is
fine, the next time there is no answer. Pretty difficult to diagnose
a problem from those symptoms.

Used silver cell batteries for an upper atmosphere density probe in
1958. They're still around, but not suitable for long missions. What
kind of battery (not RTG) would a deep space probe use?

Thanks for any answers.

Bill Hawkins