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Computer Forensics to Help Solve Pioneer Mystery

Posted by Hemos on from the deconstructing-the-past dept.

Matthew Sparkes writes "Launched 35 years ago on Friday, Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to reach the outer Solar System and return pictures of Jupiter, closely followed by Pioneer 11. However, the twin Pioneer spacecraft drifted off course (see number 8) by hundreds of thousands of kilometres during their three-decade mission, and NASA eventually lost contact with them. An international team of scientists, including many amatuer hobbyists, are re-analysing the tracking and telemetry data in the hope of discovering the reason."

10 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Oblig. Simpsons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Only hundreds of thousands of miles? Thats not too bad given the size of the solar system.

    Yeah, but it's hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

    [french guy]Sacre bleu!![/]

  2. One word.. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny

    V'ger.

    I suppose it would actually be P'neer, but that just doesn't sound right somehow.

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    1. Re:One word.. by MattSparkes · · Score: 4, Funny

      NASA eventually lost contact... Pioneer - I/O = P'neer

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      Matthew Sparkes
    2. Re:One word.. by TWX · · Score: 5, Funny

      "peener" sounds more accurate for pronounciation of "P'neer"... In context in a Walter Cronkite-esque voice: "Today, the culmination of NASA's billion dollar project occured when our own Pioneer 11 returned to us, as an artificial life forn calling itself 'peener'. Peener has indicated it's seeking the never-launched probe, 'V'Ger-NA"...'"

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  3. Re:Do they have all the original calculations? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    surely the gentlest squirrel's fart as the craft left Earth

    Or, of course, as it swung by Uranus.

  4. Re:01 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    There was an "of" where a "have" should have been.

  5. What really happened to the Pioneer by Ruvim · · Score: 3, Funny

    It just fell off the back of the turtle and found its demise under legs of the elephants holding it!

  6. FDIV? by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 2, Funny

    Pentium FDIV bug?

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    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  7. Re:CSI Deltra Quadrant by CmdrGravy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Really, are you completely sure about that ? I mean even though Quincy was only a medical examiner he managed to solve a lot of the cases, Mrs Marple is only a little old lady with no connection at all to the police and yet they're more than happy for her to do most of their work for them not to mention Poirot who has a similar arrangement where he can direct the actions of the police almost totally. Judge John Deed may well be a judge but that can't stop him solving cases.

    I really can't believe you seem to be suggesting that these roles are really strictly delinated and that in real life it's not exactly like it's portrayed in the programs.

  8. Re:I know Bush would say it by FingerDemon · · Score: 2, Funny

    I suppose next we will be looking for weapons of "mass distortion"?

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