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Last Try for CONTOUR probe

Posted by michael on from the it's-dead-jim dept.

Heartbreak writes "According to 'Last Wake-Up Calls to CONTOUR', mission operators at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory will try for the last time to contact whatever is left of NASA's CONTOUR comet probe next week. In case you've forgotten, the probe never checked in after its escape burn in August. A leading theory for the failure is that the solid-fuel booster engine (mostly buried in the body of the probe) exploded near the end of its burn. They will probably never be certain about what happened, since the burn occurred while the probe was out of contact with ground stations. Astronomers later found three objects near the expected course of the probe, presumably its remains. The plan of action for the attempted contact---aim for the biggest piece."

2 of 13 comments (clear)

  1. OT: Moby attacked by RIAA goons! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I realize this is offtopic but this is major. MP3-loving artist Moby was attacked by three armed assailants after playing at a nightclub. Although Moby was unable to identify the assailants, some believe they were acting on behalf of the RIAA to "send a message" to Moby and other artists not to break with the RIAA party line that MP3s are evil. You can find the story here!

  2. Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Lightning bolt!
    Lightning bolt!
    Lightning bolt!