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Mars Rover Down? Spirit Stays Silent

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the sleep-well-good-sir dept.

astroengine writes "One year after NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit stopped communicating with Earth, mission managers have announced that they will give the stranded rover one more month to send a signal before they scale back the search. But things aren't looking good. In the words of JPL-based Mars rover driver Scott Maxwell, 'Spirit was so close to us, just a year ago. Snap your fingers, and she's a hundred million miles distant and we can't even prove she's alive.'"

4 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Oblig by ArAgost · · Score: 4, Funny

    Obligatory xkcd reference: http://xkcd.com/695/

    1. Re:Oblig by Wolvenhaven · · Score: 4, Funny

      I see your xkcd and raise you an onion: http://www.theonion.com/articles/mars-rover-beginning-to-hate-mars,2072/

      --
      Orwell was an optimist.
  2. Re:Good run by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's also a testament to the power of the Ubuntu operating system that ran all of Spirit's vital functions. I've spoken to a few insiders at NASA and they are all extremely positive about using Ubuntu in future missions, in fact the only complaint they had was that the Compiz compositor used up too much power (and was one of the first things to be disabeld should Spirit's batteries go low on power).

  3. Search party offer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'd be happy to volunteer my ex-wife to be launched to Mars to look for the missing rover. I understand and fully accept the risks of the mission.