Japanese Mars Probe Failing 242
Anonymous Coward writes "After months of silence and a week of hopeful half-truths, Japanese space officials have finally confirmed that their Mars-bound Nozomi probe is teetering on the brink of failure in its five-year quest to explore the Red Planet. The Nozomi orbiter is one of four spacecraft that are due to converge on Mars in the next two months. The other three probes -- the European Space Agency's Mars Express and NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers -- are still on track and in good working order, according to the latest status reports. Mars Express is due to enter Martian orbit on Christmas Day and send a British-built Beagle 2 lander to the surface, while the NASA rovers should arrive on Jan. 3 and Jan. 24."
the question is... (Score:5, Funny)
What's the point? (Score:5, Funny)
Hard lines (Score:3, Funny)
Pity - the more craft we send there, the more we'll all learn.
Simon.
I see (Score:4, Funny)
if its (Score:2, Funny)
Its all gone!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Conspiracy theory anyone? (Score:4, Funny)
1. If you even know who Art Bell is, then you listen too much.
2. Mars is a very long way away. A Very, Very long way away. It's moving, too, at a good clip. This distance allows more to go wrong on the way than going somewhere closer, like the moon, by an exponential factor.
(One more reason why Mars is no place to raise a kid. Ooooo, I'm channeling Shatner!)
m-
When? (Score:2, Funny)
c'mon guys... (Score:2, Funny)
[off to the brain surgery forum... "c'mon guys...it's not like this is rocket science!"]
Battle On! (Score:5, Funny)
Those who ignore the past (future?)... (Score:2, Funny)
Marty McFly: What do you mean, Doc? All the best stuff is made in Japan.
Doc: Unbelievable.
Doesn't matter to me... (Score:4, Funny)
It's true (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I see (Score:5, Funny)
Do you have any idea how much of the great british public's tax money went on the research required to get water boil correctly in those kind of inhospitable conditions...
Not to mention the whole earl grey vs english breakfast fiasco!
Interesting (Score:5, Funny)
Why on Earth did they use BSD then? (Score:1, Funny)
Please can someone enlighten them about our good friend Tux.
Thank you.
Re:Strange but seemingly consistent (Score:5, Funny)
Yes. It's called human engineering.
Five-year quest? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:When? (Score:2, Funny)
how hard can it be? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:the question is... (Score:5, Funny)
Of course, I'm not sure who will be the "second". Perhaps one of the other satellites or the Martians can finish the thing off...
Re:Contamination? (Score:3, Funny)