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Japanese Mars Probe Failing

Posted by michael on from the warranty-expired dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "After months of silence and a week of hopeful half-truths, Japanese space officials have finally confirmed that their Mars-bound Nozomi probe is teetering on the brink of failure in its five-year quest to explore the Red Planet. The Nozomi orbiter is one of four spacecraft that are due to converge on Mars in the next two months. The other three probes -- the European Space Agency's Mars Express and NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers -- are still on track and in good working order, according to the latest status reports. Mars Express is due to enter Martian orbit on Christmas Day and send a British-built Beagle 2 lander to the surface, while the NASA rovers should arrive on Jan. 3 and Jan. 24."

11 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. the question is... by zr-rifle · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...will it commit harakiri?

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    Hack your mind out of its sandbox.
    1. Re:the question is... by G-Man · · Score: 4, Funny
      Perish the thought! This is an interplanetary probe, carrying the honor and dignity of the Japanese nation. It will commit seppuku , as befitting a spacecraft of its' station. It would never commit hari kiri like some common communications satellite.

      Of course, I'm not sure who will be the "second". Perhaps one of the other satellites or the Martians can finish the thing off...

  2. What's the point? by Typingsux · · Score: 4, Funny
    The Martians are now wise to us and will just shoot the rest down. That's what has happened to all the others.

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    The above post is an editorial, the poster cannot and will not be held responsible for all or in part for it's contents
  3. I see by Joe+the+Lesser · · Score: 4, Funny

    So hopefully the British rover will have tea ready for us when we get there. Jolly good.

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    "I only speak the truth"
    Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
    1. Re:I see by D-Cypell · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sure, laugh at us!

      Do you have any idea how much of the great british public's tax money went on the research required to get water boil correctly in those kind of inhospitable conditions...

      Not to mention the whole earl grey vs english breakfast fiasco!

  4. Re:Conspiracy theory anyone? by ultramk · · Score: 3, Funny

    Two points:

    1. If you even know who Art Bell is, then you listen too much.

    2. Mars is a very long way away. A Very, Very long way away. It's moving, too, at a good clip. This distance allows more to go wrong on the way than going somewhere closer, like the moon, by an exponential factor. ...and why, yes, this is rocket science.

    (One more reason why Mars is no place to raise a kid. Ooooo, I'm channeling Shatner!)

    m-

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    You catch enchiladas by picking them up behind the head and holding them underwater until they don't kick anymore -VeGas
  5. Battle On! by jmkaza · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is going to be the best episode of Batttlebots ever!

  6. Doesn't matter to me... by tomdarch · · Score: 3, Funny

    Because it's a Nozomi Express Probe, I can't use my JRPass on it!

  7. Interesting by nocomment · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess I'll just stick with their VCR's and TV's.

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    /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
    /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
  8. Re:Strange but seemingly consistent by Prof.Phreak · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm starting to get the impression that there is some sort of major hazard somewhere on the way to Mars.

    Yes. It's called human engineering.

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    "If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy

  9. Re:Contamination? by BJH · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't underestimate the power of Hello Kitty!