Submit your comments on this article |
-Short Attention Span Theater- |
Mars Strikes Again |
2003-11-25 |
Canada’s first space mission to another planet a science instrument riding on a Japanese probe heading to Mars is likely doomed as the Nozomi spacecraft is escaping control and may miss Mars completely. Nozomi has been flying for five years and has already missed Mars once. It carries a Canadian-built instrument that would measure the gases in Mars’ thin atmosphere. Nozomi is designed to orbit Mars. But Japan acknowledges it can barely control Nozomi, and the spacecraft may crash on Mars within a few weeks, or miss the planet and drift aimlessly around the sun forever. Nozomi means "Hope," and the little spacecraft could use some. It has experienced a series of failures that kept it from reaching Mars on its first trip. Unfazed, its operators swung it around for a second pass at the Red Planet, but now say the probe is in its "final challenge" and may never arrive. They missed an entire planet, twice. Translation: Nozomi, and the Canadian-built Thermal Plasma Analyzer, may continue a tradition of man-made probes that don’t survive the trip to the bad-luck planet. What are the Martians hiding that they don’t want us to see? |
Posted by:Steve |
#13 I bet we used HARP to damage the Japanese/Candian mission on purpose. Oh, I forgot I wasn't supposed to write anything about HARP because of you know.... |
Posted by: Super Hose 2003-11-25 7:06:29 PM |
#12 Martians -- why do they hate us? |
Posted by: Steve White 2003-11-25 3:09:10 PM |
#11 We need to start playing Indian Love Song on our satellites to give them a chance. |
Posted by: commo 2003-11-25 2:57:46 PM |
#10 Mars needs a reconnaisance in force! |
Posted by: Bulldog 2003-11-25 2:54:35 PM |
#9 "Mars needs women!" |
Posted by: Fred 2003-11-25 1:10:33 PM |
#8 Illudium Q-36 Space Modulator!" Crummm! I thougth it was Illudium Q-38, and the purpose was to Demodulate space. No wonder mine doesn't work. Oh, well, back to the drawing board... |
Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-25 12:45:13 PM |
#7 "Oh, dear, the Earth creatures are sending another of their bothersome space probes. That annoys me greatly. I shall put a stop to it at once. Prepare the Illudium Q-36 Space Modulator!" --Marvin Martian |
Posted by: Mike 2003-11-25 12:23:51 PM |
#6 It's all about bananas and money. |
Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-25 11:57:24 AM |
#5 Everyone knows that this is really the work of the Trilateral Commission(Amelia Earhart,Jimmy Hoffa and the gunman from the grassy knoll are current chairs),using the secret technology they stole from Area 51 to protect their secret base on Mars where they plot to control the Universe by means of the time machine Wesley Clarke saw the plans for. |
Posted by: Stephen 2003-11-25 11:32:07 AM |
#4 What makes you think the Martians want to be bothered |
Posted by: Hiryu 2003-11-25 10:49:59 AM |
#3 FOOLS! It was Gamera! |
Posted by: snellenr 2003-11-25 10:17:27 AM |
#2 Hey! He couldn't hit the broadside of a Planet is (or was) a figure of speech. BTW: Like the Surviver: Mars comment. |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2003-11-25 9:43:49 AM |
#1 They're filming Survivor: Mars and don't want any leaks. All those bodies in transparent space suits, yowza! |
Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2003-11-25 9:27:12 AM |