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Japanese 'Minerva' Robot Lost in Space
space_weasel writes "A little Japanese robot that was supposed to land on the surface of an asteroid has accidentally been flung into space by its mothership. New Scientist Space reports that the accident occurred as the data link with the spacecraft was being switched from an station in Japan to one in Australia. Mission controllers still plan to punch a hole in the asteroid and collect samples, which will be returned to Earth."
Dammit, they can't even handoff mission control without losing the probe, and they still think it's OK to go around punching holes in ancient celestial objects? What if they miss?
--
make install -not war
wonder if it might still be able to land on a few chairs thrown from Redmond some days ago.
How do you say "Blame Dr. Smith" in Japanese?
Must have been a bug-eyed anime probe that made a high pitched squealing sound as it was "flung off into space" by the mothership...
...is, after roaming the galaxy for 200 years collecting information, it will come back to Earth to destroy us.
Dark Reflection
robot 1 : target acquired, beginning landing sequence...
robot 2 : roger that, beginning land... OH LOOK A STAR!
[all robots turn towards the star]
robot 3 : OOHHHHHHHHHHH PRETTY!!!!
If Star Trek has taught us nothing else, it is that probes lost in space are a bad thing. And the fact that it's Japanese means that it's definitely going to come back and go apeshit.
Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
When working with the USA, spacecraft get lost due to forgetting to switch between metric and common units.
When working with Australia, spacecraft get lost due to forgetting that their maps of the universe are up-side-down.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Exonature is as cruel as mothernature herself. Obviously, the mothership began to ovulate, and, sensing a potential mate nearby, cruelly cast off her young to fend for itself.
"Game over space cadet"
The probe was named Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom and skill. The mothership is named Hayabusa, after the world's fastest flying bird.
Unfortunately, the mission controller was named Bob, after the Roman god of lazy eyes and uncoordinated pitching.
Hmm. Japanese space robot goes bananas, attacks other Japanese space robot, hurls it off into deep space... I've seen that before somewhere.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Mork : "Fly, be free!" [SPLAT]
Mission controllers John and Maureen Robinson briefly left the control room to attend to an unforseen family crisis involving their children, Judy, William and Penny. Mission scientist Dr. Zachary Smith was left in charge of the lander. When chief mission controller Major Don West came into the control room an hour later to relieve Dr. Smith, the probe was found to have drifted off the asteroid after faulty commands were sent from one of the mission computers. Investigators later found a giant magnet stuck to the computer. Dr. Smith's only comment on the mission was that the robot was a "clattering craft of clinking computerized clumps"!
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
If I were them, I would go searching for another provider.
"It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
I told you not to pinch your mother there!
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Someone set up them the bomb.
As a politician instead of a scientist, the first thing that came to mind when I read this story were the faces of the people who made the budget for that robot. They just heard that their spacecraft flung a $20million bag of money into the great unknown. I imagine that feels just about the same as getting kicked square in the nuts.
I am and always will be a stereotype, because who in their right mind prefers mono?
"hackers in Idaho"
Hey, I *am* a hacker in Idaho, you insensitive clod!
DRM 'manages access' in the same way that a prison 'manages freedom'
Ffffuuuukkkkooooovvvvvv!!!!!!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Go fetch, boy! Go fetch the little robot!
If the g'vt kept the data on you that google does you'd better believe you'd be calling it "doing evil"