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SOHO Is Back

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the found-in-space dept.

c4tp's friend writes "Space.com reports that SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) is back and almost fully operational. The satellite should be able to transmit 98% of the data it was able to transport before an electric motor stuck disabling its high gain attenae in June (covered by Slashdot). The fix includes a 180 degree rotation of SOHO and use of another satellite dish transmitting the information via the Deep Space Network. SOHO will be out of order for about nine to sixteen days every three months."

12 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. yes, our plan has worked, by way2trivial · · Score: 1, Funny

    no longer, detect my home planet, will you.

    --
    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  2. OK by jabbadabbadoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    SOHO - Semi Operational Heliospheric Observatory. Sick of it.

  3. Hooray by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Looks like nasa finally got that shipment of metric converter calculators i sent them

  4. Operational? by ThePyro · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational observatory!

  5. Re:yes, our plan has worked, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny


    waves hand
    this is not the planet you are looking for

  6. out of order for about nine to sixteen days... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    ...every three months

    So they`re using MS Exchange Server?

  7. Great! by moehoward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I love a happy ending.

    But the story could have used a bit more drama. And maybe even its own Aerosmith song.

    --
    "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
    1. Re:Great! by rde · · Score: 2, Funny

      But the story could have used a bit more drama. And maybe even its own Aerosmith song.

      Drama? I've been following this story for ages courtesy of NASA's email bulletins. Now that SOHO's online again, I can start worrying about Mars Express.

      As for the song:

      Spacecraft floatin' with the comets in space
      And your lens pointin' up in the air
      Singin' hey what the hell
      Things ain't goin' too well
      The antenna's actions causin' a scare
      So we tried somethin' strange with the bot at Lagrange
      And we tried pointin' back at our sphere
      We were all celebratin' 'cause its orientation
      Was aligned more or less down to here
      When we told it to
      Point this way,
      Point this way

  8. Looks suspiciously boxy by AtariAmarok · · Score: 2, Funny

    This looks suspiciously boxy. For all we know, they have launched one of those shoeboxes that can be used to observe the Sun safely during an eclipse.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  9. Oh my god, it's full of 404 ! by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    They've finally done it. They've slashdotted space itself.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  10. Re:Long distance repairs by Mr.Sharpy · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wholeheartedly agree. However, Viking's still there, with it's batteries long dead...

    Wouldn't it be a hoot if, say, 50 years from now, a couple of astronauts found it, dusted it off, replaced the batteries, hit the master reset button (or whatever) and it sprang back to life!

    Wouldn't it be even more of a hoot if it spontaneously and mysteriously started transmitting on its own? If they even told us about it, NASA would have a lot of questions.

  11. Odd.... by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    They just got back the last bit of data before the antenna was jammed. They picked up the faint outline of.... a Winnebago.

    --
    "Derp de derp."