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SMART Probe to Crash Into the Moon
cyberbian writes "Amateur astronomers will be excited to note that they can witness the impact of the SMART-1 probe crashing into the moon. The impact is scheduled for the morning of September 2nd (PDT). From the article: 'There's nothing wrong with the spacecraft, which is wrapping up a successful 3-year mission to the Moon. SMART-1's main job was to test a European-built ion engine. It worked beautifully, propelling the craft in 2003 on a unique spiral path from Earth to the Moon. From lunar orbit, SMART-1 took thousands of high-resolution pictures and made mineral maps of the Moon's terrain. One of its most important discoveries was a "Peak of Eternal Light," a mountaintop near the Moon's north pole in constant, year-round sunlight. Peaks of Eternal Light are prime real estate for solar-powered Moon bases."
Crashing into the moon?? What kind of *retard* probe would do that??
Doesn't sound so smart to me.
Yeah whatever, you know this is just another screw up between two separated teams of developers. This time, one coded in feet the other coded in astronomical units.
It turns out it wasn't a moon after all, but a deathstar in camo and hibernating... we just woke it up.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
For if it is a truly smart probe, it will refuse its programming and assume a stable orbit rather than crashing.
Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
The ideal property for sunlovers, the Peak of Eternal Light!(1)
Guaranteed 24hr sunlight, all year round!
Get the tan that will be the envy of your friends!(2)
(1) Address available on application. Access to the property is the responsibility of the Purchaser.
(2) Protective clothing required for outdoor activities.
If my call is important, why am I talking to a recording?
To maximize the chances that the probe's mission will be successful, the project is being run by the British Beagle 2 Mars probe team, and the operating system on the probe will be Microsoft Windows.
"We should avoid blowing it up, but other than that, it's a big hunk of rock we just haven't put to good use yet." ;)
like blowing it up.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Then I will start calling my fridge a 'wellspring of eternal beers' since, most of the time, there's beer in there. Except on RARE occasions when there's not because some 'guest' drank it all.
TLF
I do not respond to cowards. Especially anonymous ones.
Or we could call you "the man with no friends" since most of the time you don't have any from being anal retentive.
What does the MEPA have to say about this?
You know, the Moon Environmental Protection Agency. Surely they're upset about this planned littering of our beloved Moon. Sure it's only a probe now, but that's setting the stage for all sorts of lunar trash. What's next? A satellite? Space shuttle? An entire station?
Won't somebody PLEASE think of our children's children's children's children's children's children's children's future home?
-David
Overheard in mission control...
"That was cool! What else can we crash?"
Uh, yeah. We meant to do that.
Can You Say Linux? I Knew That You Could.
That's when the low-paid lunar coders will sleep...
What you really want to worry about are the Solar Eclipses of the Moon, when the Sun passes between the Earth and the Moon...
-- My Weblog.
You're the reason we have those 100 line disclaimers at the bottom of everything.
Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.