Help Solve the Mystery of the Pioneer Anomaly 473
deglr6328 writes "Very soon, NASA will be dismantling and scrapping its only computer left which is able to access and process the data on its ancient 7- and 9-track magnetic tapes. "Who cares", you say? Well, the Planetary Society for one and they're hoping you might care as well. The data held on these (few hundred) tapes is no ordinary forgettable data, it is the complete archive of the first 15 years of all the data returned to Earth by the Pioneer spacecraft which were sent into interstellar space. This additional and thus far unexamined data (the data after 1988 is available and has already been examined) may hold the key to solving what is considered one of the top problems in physics today, the so called Pioneer anomaly, where the observed trajectory of these spacecraft (and a couple others) deviates noticeably from our very precise expectation. The reason for the anomaly may be as mundane as uneven radiation pressure or escaping thruster fuel or it may be as groundbreaking as a clue to completely new physics, perhaps related to dark matter or dark energy. The Planetary Society is planning on recovering this data and poring over it meticulously to look for something which may have been missed or hidden from current investigations into the phenomenon. They need money to do this, about $250,000, and are asking for donations to fund the project. You do not need to be a member to donate. There are no serious proposals to send any more spin-stabilized spacecraft on solar escape trajectories any time in the near future and this is probably the only tenable method we have to directly investigate this mystery in the interim."
It's obviously an alien plot. (Score:2, Funny)
2.???
3.Profit!
I solved my mystery (Score:4, Funny)
I can help (Score:5, Funny)
And miss.... (Score:5, Funny)
"They destroyed those things so we wouldn't know what it REALLY found. I know they did! Why else would they destroy them. It must be a conspiracy!"
Free money? (Score:4, Funny)
Just as well, i was away to send a million pounds but thought "oh no! im not a member! theyll never accept my non-space-geek cash!"
Business proposal (Score:1, Funny)
I'll tell you what the "anomaly" is. (Score:0, Funny)
Unless the spacecraft is further out than we expect it to be... in that case, he is speeding the spacecraft along its holy path and he wants mankind to study more of the universe.
Re:How much do you want to bet... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Funding (Score:3, Funny)
Re:And miss.... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:But how huge? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:GPL the Data (Score:1, Funny)
GPL the data, yea, right...sheesh.
Re:Have you heard of Nero? (Score:1, Funny)
My cassette tape of the Rolling Stone's "Sticky Fingers" still plays after 30 years, but then it has been baked and cooled hundreds of times sitting on the dash of my VW bug.
Re:I can help (Score:5, Funny)
An 8-track? With genuine mono sound!?
Does your Charger also have a device for slowing and speeding up the passage of time?
Re:Have you heard of Nero? (Score:2, Funny)
Since when are the two guys out back waiting to kneecap the contestants considered 'lovely?'
Re:I can help (Score:3, Funny)
Re:It's obviously an alien plot. -- missing step (Score:5, Funny)
2.Blockbuster movie staring famous Scientologist.
3.Profit!
Re:GPL the Data (Score:4, Funny)
I got this same email this morning... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I can help - RTFA please (Score:5, Funny)
Will you please RTFA. It clearly says 7 and 9 track tapes.
But statistically speaking, it ought to work on average.
Re:I can help (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe we can use the leftover track from reading the 7-track tapes to our advantage...
Re:Have you heard of Nero? (Score:5, Funny)
No. but their grad students do.
Re:It's obviously an alien plot. (Score:3, Funny)
1. Deviate spacecrafts from their precisely-planned flightpaths
2. Set up space advocacy group and beg for donations to help solve "mystery" introduced in step 1.
3. Profit!
Re:I can help (Score:2, Funny)
Re:It's obviously an alien plot. (Score:5, Funny)
UFO - 500 zarbos
Tractor beam - 100 zarbos
Antimatter fuel - 30 zarbos
Confusing the puny humans for decades - priceless
Re:It's obviously an alien plot. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Have you heard of Nero? (Score:5, Funny)
Somebody DOES need to be fired but not at NASA. Unfortunately, the elections are over a year away.