ESA's Beagle 2 Hits Signal Snag

Talking Goat writes "Space.com is reporting that the European Space Agency has run into a bit of a problem with it's recently launched "Beagle 2" spacecraft. An unexpected signal received from the probe has concerned controllers, and has delayed further systems checks. Let's hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come; history hasn't been kind to past Mars probes."

What is this?

[tsa]

I didn't learn anything from the article. Something went wrong and now they have to delay a test. Well, cool! What signal? What instrument? Looks like a politician wrote this article.

Re:What is this?

[Scaba]

The signal has something to do with a bunch of 1 x 4 x 9 black obelisks found on the surface of Mars. It said "We've changed our minds. Europa's cool now, but attempt no landings on Mars."

m.p.u.

[js7a]

I wish I had mod points for this. ROFL!

Re:m.p.u.

[Scaba]

Laughs at my jokes and supports Howard Dean. Hmm...you can't be all that bad... ;>)

Re:What is this?

[Alsee]

Top 10 final signals:

(10) Someone set us up the bomb!

(9) What does this button do? ....NO CARRIER

(8) So long, and thanks for all the fish!

(7) QxN Checkmate

(6) Self destruct sequence activated.

(5) Yes...I'd like to hear it HAL....Sing it for me.
It's called "Daisy" (slow, sleepy singing voice) Daisy....Daisy.....Give me your answer due.....I'm half-crazy....all for the love of you....

(4) Please deposit 25 cents for the next three minutes.

(3) Windows was not properly shut down. One or more of your disk

Obligatory crap joke...

[darylp]

The Beagle has landed. Bet no-one's ever thought of saying THAT before.

Obligatory google search. . .

[DustMagnet]

Bet no-one's ever thought of saying THAT before.

Sorry. The Beagle has landed [google.com]

More Info...

[Talking Goat]

I later found this [esa.int]article at the ESA website, but I had already submitted the story... It provides a bit more information.

Last message heard from the Beagle

[AtariAmarok]

The last message heard from the Beagle:

"My old nemesis! What are you doing this far out? Curse you, Red Baron!!!! What are you doin-- YIPE YIPE [static}"

Better write up on the ESA site

[FlexAgain]

Look at Rescheduling of some Beagle 2 'cruise check-out' tests [esa.int] for a slightly more informative document.

It looks like the Solid State Mass Memory (essentially a modern replacement for the tape recorders found on older spacecraft) had a problem and to avoid writing over the data in the memory, they are delaying tests on Beagle. It's not really a Beagle problem, and it doesn't even look like a biggee for Mars Express. It's probably either a SEU (Single Event Upset) caused by some radiation whizzing through part of the electronics, or some sort of odd software bug (probably fixable with some patching).

Nothing much to see, move along here.

Another doomed probe?

[uncoveror]

They just don't get it yet at the ESA, or NASA that the Zhti Ti Kofft [uncoveror.com] are tired of us spying on them. We probably know about as much about Mars as they plan to let us discover.

Re:Another doomed probe?

[WTFmonkey]

That mountain in the lower-right of the picture looks like Mickey Mouse.

Re:Another doomed probe?

[ceejayoz]

in semi-related news, I just spotted this photo of the "face" on Mars [msnbc.com] on MSNBC.com - pretty nifty!

Doppler Shift?

[CheshireCatCO]

My first reaction upon reading the title mof this article was, "Oh, no. Did the forget the Doppler Shift? Again??" But maybe that's from being a bit too close to the Cassini goings-on.

Incidently, I liked how they said that Mars Express will arrive at Mars "sometime in December". I'm hard-pressed to imagine that they don't have the dates down better than that. (Or was someone just too lazy to look it up?)

The Exercise of Vital Powers

[eglamkowski]

"Mars. I can't believe I'm back on Mars. Three times before this place almost killed me. I swore I'd never give it another chance to finish the job. Humans have got no business being here. No business at all."
Garibaldi