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Resurrecting NEAR

Posted by michael on from the nine-lives-already-used-up dept.

JoeRobe writes "Space.com is reporting that John Hopkins researchers are going to attempt to revive the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft at the end of the year. The spacecraft, designed to orbit asteroid Eros, finished its mission by successfully landing on the surface of the asteroid in February 2001, resting on its body and two solar panels. Now, after NEAR has been silent and cold for over a year, researchers are going to try to make contact with it and possibly try to turn on its scientific instruments one last time . How long can silent electronics last in space?"

8 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. How long can silent electronics last in space?" by phunhippy · · Score: 3, Funny

    How long can silent electronics last in space?"

    If there is no one there to listen to it, is it really silent? Ahhhhhh

    1. Re:How long can silent electronics last in space?" by Floyd+Turbo · · Score: 4, Funny

      "In space, no one can hear your electronics."

    2. Re:How long can silent electronics last in space?" by brokenspoke · · Score: 2, Funny

      Or in Windoze land:

      In space no-once can hear you blue screen.

      --
      -- I am Jack's sig line.
  2. I have a suggestion... by Indras · · Score: 2, Funny

    They might want to speak to the unemployment office. I hear they have some experience getting things to start working again after they've been resting for a year.

    --
    The speed of time is one second per second.
  3. Re:Umm.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Well, not exactly. Dictionary says indefinite is: having no exact limits. I think a serious limit would be the ammount of time the asteroid stays in dark regions of space, or obviously the asteroid being destroyed. If the spacecraft is running windows, I think it's safe to assume that it's sitting at a bluescreen millions of miles from earth so it's a lost cause anyhow.

  4. Armageddon! by TheNecromancer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, I hope Bruce and the team have drilled to 800 feet and planted the nuke, cuz time is running out...uh, nevermind, wrong asteroid.

    --
    Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control! - Neil Peart
  5. I think we all know what will happen... by smoondog · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think we all know what will happen when they make contact:

    NASA Operator: What happen?
    NASA Operator 2: Somebody set us up the bomb
    NASA Operator: We Get Signal!
    NASA Operator 2: What?
    NASA Operator: Main Screen Turn On.
    NASA Operator 2: Its you!
    NEAR Probe: How are you gentlemen?
    NEAR Probe: All your base are belong to us.

    (cheezy techno starts now...)
    -Sean

  6. Re:And why did it go silent ? by AndroidCat · · Score: 3, Funny
    Did the Viking Mars probes ever die, or did they just pull the funding for listening? Who know what data might have been recorded.

    "Hello? Hello! Stupid 3rd-planeters!" seismic event, seismic event. "Stupid POS!", decreasing after-shocks...

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.