Phoenix to NASA: “Houston, We Have a Prob*static*”

Just two days after touchdown, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander—photographed here by Mars Odyssey— is having problems with their UHF radio, which was used more than a hundred times before but now is refusing to work. Without it, you can’t give orders to the spacecraft, but don’t fret: fortunately they can use the orbiter to relay signals, as well as activating the secondary radio unit available on board. NASA said the problem was caused by a “transient event.” What does that mean? They don’t know for sure, and that means we can pick our own.