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Mars Crater Theory Tries To Explain Missing Beagle

Posted by simoniker on from the put-face-on-mars'-eye-out dept.

JayBonci writes "CNN is running a piece regarding the failure of the Beagle Mars probe being possibly attributed to a crater landing. It's an interesting story about the variety of forensics being used to try and pick up on the lost craft."

9 of 362 comments (clear)

  1. Oops by GuyinVA · · Score: 5, Funny

    [homer] D'oh [/homer]

  2. They need to just tell us the truth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It was aliens. We know they don't want us poking around their planet and are shooting down our probes. Time to take a hint. I think the Venusians are less hostile anyway.

  3. Think.. by Shky · · Score: 5, Funny

    No no, see he did it.

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    CC Licensed Serialized Story and Podcast: Ingenioustries
  4. Yeah, that makes sense. by Limburgher · · Score: 5, Funny

    I mean, if it landed hard enough to make a crater, I'm sure it probably stopped working entirely! ;)

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    You are not the customer.

  5. Cool! by rune.w · · Score: 5, Funny

    Would that make it the longest hole-in-one in History?

    R.
  6. My theory is better: by Eberlin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comic Theory:
    Marvin the Martian just got a new barbecue grill for Christmas.

    Conspiracy Theory:
    World governments chipped in to send the barbecue grill to Marvin so as to appease the martian and prevent a loud Earth-shattering Kaboom!

    Solution:
    Get Duck Dodgers to get our grill back.

  7. Dog days on Mars by Gavin+Scott · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is an exciting time for Mars exporation with two rovers and a Beagle arriving over the period of a month or so.

    Unfortunately the Beagle 2 seems to have followed the Simplified Planetary Local Approach Trajectory that has been so popular with recent Mars landers.

    This is quite depressing, but Beagle 2 was a bit of a shoestring mission from the beginning. There's a reasonable chance that one of the NASA rovers will survive, though this is by no means a sure thing.

    Even ignoring the technical challenge of having everything work perfectly, the landscape of Mars is quite capable of swallowing up one of these landers without a trace. A poorly placed pile of rocks or a deep gully and you're history.

    I think that eventually we will have to send people to Mars, not because of the scientific reasons but just to satisfy our curiosity about what actually happened to all these lost landers.

    G.

  8. Beagle2: fragged. by sheetsda · · Score: 5, Funny

    So what they're telling us is essentially:
    Beagle2 is sent into orbit by EU.
    Beagle2 rides EU's rocket.
    Beagle2 cratered.
    Beagle2 disconnected.
    EU: anyone there?

  9. One word: by soulsteal · · Score: 5, Funny

    KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN!