NASA Struggles To Contact Lost Mars Probe

David Shiga writes "Just when NASA was about to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft, the probe suddenly lost contact with Earth, New Scientist Space reports. NASA last heard from the MGS probe on November 5, two days before the 10th anniversary of its launch from Earth. The MGS team is not sure yet what the problem is, but a micrometeorite could have jolted the spacecraft's main antenna out of alignment with Earth, or it might have a solar array problem and too little power to talk to Earth as a result. If they can't re-establish communication this week, NASA may try to diagnose the problem by taking pictures of MGS with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The two spacecraft come within about 100 kilometers of each other several times each week."

martian RPG

[macadamia_harold]

The MGS team is not sure yet what the problem is, but a micrometeorite could have jolted the spacecraft's main antenna out of alignment with Earth

That wasn't a "meteorite", and I can tell you that the martians probably don't like being spied on any more than we do.

Election fallout

[Tablizer]

Rumsfield simply took it home with him when he cleaned out his office.

Can't Reply

[Tablizer]

The probe cannot reply to Earth signals because some ahole took away its "Reply" button!

MOD PARENT UP

[Anonymous Coward]

You know the one I mean

Calvin and Hobbes, anyone?

[ChipMonk]

A perfect example of "Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink'!"

Spirit's been throwing rocks again

[Kelson]

Just last month we learned that Spirit was bored out of its mind [theonion.com] with Mars. Obviously the rover has been passing time by trying out its throwing arm on some of those rock specimens it's been collecting.

Either that or it and Opportunity have started one-on-one baseball. You think your neighbors get mad when you hit the ball into their window -- that's nothing compared to what'll happen when NASA finds out Spirit took out MGS with a homer.

It's all the Dems fault

[Anonymous Coward]

With Bush in office, Spirit and Opportunity lasted well beyond their life expectancy. Couple of days after the libs get Congress and Senate, space hardware begins to malfunction.

Ah, well. We'll never get to Mars anyway. When Hillary gets into office 2 years from now, the CEV will be scrapped along with the rest of the space program. More money for social programs and some token medical research.

But at least the internet will be finally reeled in and tightly controlled. It will be an improvement. No more slashdot. No more digg. No more indymedia. Only politically correct and copyright-friendly content from 2008 on. Can't wait.

Actually.

[oGMo]

If they can't re-establish communication this week, NASA may try to diagnose the problem by taking pictures of MGS with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

It's clear what's going on... terrorists have taken over and are trying to steal it. What they'll actually do is send in an ex-black-ops operative called out of retirement, because he's dealt with this kind of thing before, and because his genetic twin is the mastermind. This should be obvious. It's what always happens when dealing with a... Metal Gear. But this time we're not on Solid ground. We're in Space.

And we've got Snakes in Space.

Re: Can't reply

[eclectro]

The probe cannot reply to Earth signals because some ahole took away its "Reply" button!

That's not it. The spacecraft travelled 2^24 or 16,777,216 clicks, at which time the internal navigation turned into an unsigned mediumint.

They say they should be able to restore earth reply for the probe in 3+ hours. Otherwise, slashdotters will start probing for jokes.

Unintended consequences

[Pogue Mahone]

The poor thing's probably slashdooted by now ;-)

Transformers?

[Ruvim]

Oh no! Transformers got to it too!

Re:Can't Reply

[1stpreacher]

It has already replied 16,777,216 times... Crap!