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ESA's Beagle 2 Hits Signal Snag
Talking Goat writes "Space.com is reporting that the European Space Agency has run into a bit of
a problem
with it's recently launched "Beagle 2" spacecraft. An unexpected signal received from
the probe has concerned controllers, and has delayed further systems checks.
Let's hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come; history
hasn't been kind to past Mars probes."
I didn't learn anything from the article. Something went wrong and now they have to delay a test. Well, cool! What signal? What instrument? Looks like a politician wrote this article.
-- Cheers!
The Beagle has landed. Bet no-one's ever thought of saying THAT before.
I later found thisarticle at the ESA website, but I had already submitted the story... It provides a bit more information.
+ G to tha Izzo, A to tha Tizee, Talking Giz-oat, Ya'll Bettah Feel Me... +
The last message heard from the Beagle:
"My old nemesis! What are you doing this far out? Curse you, Red Baron!!!! What are you doin-- YIPE YIPE [static}"
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Look at Rescheduling of some Beagle 2 'cruise check-out' tests for a slightly more informative document.
It looks like the Solid State Mass Memory (essentially a modern replacement for the tape recorders found on older spacecraft) had a problem and to avoid writing over the data in the memory, they are delaying tests on Beagle. It's not really a Beagle problem, and it doesn't even look like a biggee for Mars Express. It's probably either a SEU (Single Event Upset) caused by some radiation whizzing through part of the electronics, or some sort of odd software bug (probably fixable with some patching).
Nothing much to see, move along here.
Actually it is rocket science...
I wish I had mod points for this. ROFL!
They just don't get it yet at the ESA, or NASA that the Zhti Ti Kofft are tired of us spying on them. We probably know about as much about Mars as they plan to let us discover.
The Uncoveror: It's the real news.
Sorry. The Beagle has landed
'SBEMAIL!' is better than a goat!!
The Ford Probe (called "Plobe" at the Mazda corporate offices) was a mistake to begin with; it was supposed to be a Mustang.
From my "submitted articles" page:
2003-06-23 19:23:20 Mars Express problems - the Curse of Mars again? (articles,space) (rejected)
This story:
"ESA's Beagle 2 Hits Signal Snag"
Posted by michael on Tue June 24, 16:22
Great going, editors!
"The right to figure things out for yourself is the only true freedom everyone shares. Go use it"-R.A.Heinlein
My first reaction upon reading the title mof this article was, "Oh, no. Did the forget the Doppler Shift? Again??" But maybe that's from being a bit too close to the Cassini goings-on.
Incidently, I liked how they said that Mars Express will arrive at Mars "sometime in December". I'm hard-pressed to imagine that they don't have the dates down better than that. (Or was someone just too lazy to look it up?)
"Mars. I can't believe I'm back on Mars. Three times before this place almost killed me. I swore I'd never give it another chance to finish the job. Humans have got no business being here. No business at all."
Garibaldi
Government IS the problem.
Troll? Go troll in your ass some more, you flippin' mod fag.