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Mars Soil Frustrates Phoenix Again

Posted by timothy on from the pulling-out-doesn't-sound-manly dept.

Tablizer writes "The Phoenix Mars lander has been frustrated yet again by Mars's odd soil. The wet nature of the soil they are targeting appears to have made it get stuck in the scoop rather than drop into the oven. Past problems with similarly clumpy soil may have damaged the lander because the vibrator had to be used longer than it was designed for, resulting in a short circuit."

8 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Because, someone had to do it: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant
    So if I'm reading the subtext properly, then the alternate headline for this story should be: "Lander discovers that Mars is in need of a better vibrator"?

    If I, someone who has a serious interest in the Mars lander, wrote a theoretical story on the subject, would it qualify as "Mars slash-dot-fic"?

  2. Re:PLEASE TAG VIBRATOR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    Oh I thought I was on /. not /b/

  3. Re:One sad conclusion by bogaboga · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Did you even read the post? It mentioned "...wet clumpy soil..." Now, the last time I checked, we in these United States have lots of wet clumpy soil.

  4. how about venus? by meeya · · Score: 0, Redundant

    if mars had this much trouble with vibrator, don't send any of them to Venus, there will be an explosion

  5. Re:Neato by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    too long; didn't read

  6. Re:And we all know what a problem it is when... by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 0, Redundant

    your vibrator cuts out early.

    Wha? Are the results rather anticlimactic?

    --
    My blog
  7. Re:YHBT by AnimeFreak · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Nah. Pink taco.

  8. Re:Neato by binaryseraph · · Score: 0, Redundant

    You sure its not Uranus?