RSS Feeds
Science
First Time Jitters Cause Inaugural Mars Lander Load To Miss Target
Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 1:30 AM on June 9, 2008
Our favourite Martian gadget of the moment is experiencing some performance anxiety. While all of Phoenix's parts are working just fine, including the 8-foot scoop arm, the little guy just couldn't seal the deal when NASA scientists gave the green light to scoop dirt and put the bun in the oven. None of the inaugural sample made it into the first oven, you see, and scientists at the University of Arizona are scrambling today to find out why.
The latest glitch arrived after a week of successful tests involving the sleepy scoop arm, and could dash the earlier sense of optimism that arose at mission control when Phoenix spied a shiny ice sheet just beneath its feet.
Photos of the fail were released by the University of Arizona team on Saturday, and showed "a scoopful of dirt sitting on and around the open oven door after being dumped by the craft's 8-foot robot arm." None of the dirt made it into the tiny chamber, however. If it had, the miniature oven housed within would have begun heating the soil to test it for gasses, water or organic compounds.
It's a minor issue, considering there are seven more ovens to work with, so let's have a bit of fun at the Lander's expense, courtesy of CNN's "story highlights" (which sound just like a stammering Jason Biggs in American Pie after he, too, fails to seal the deal):
• Photos show dirt around oven door, but none made it into chamber (premature excavation)
• "We think everything is working correctly," says scientist in charge of oven (the classic, "I swear, this is the first time this has ever happened!")
• If oven is unusable, lander has seven more ("I've got reserves!")
• Scientists will spend next several days trying to figure out the problem (porn)
There's also a potentially malfunctioning vibrator to consider, although initial tests showed it was working as designed (seriously, read the article). In the meantime, NASA reports scientists will continue to poke around in the soil and do additional digging. [The Associated Press]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
weak_pig
Posted 1:59 AM 9/6/08
"Premature excavation..." wat lovely phrasing!! lol!
weak_pig
kickassy
Posted 1:57 AM 9/6/08
Everything has an off day...
kickassy
Rick36
Posted 1:48 AM 9/6/08
Maybe Marvin the Martian came by, saw the lander, was hot to trot, and now there is really a "bun in the oven".
Rick36
prouted
Posted 1:45 AM 9/6/08
Fiasco or lie, you choose...
prouted
DucatiGuy
Posted 1:37 AM 9/6/08
F'n conspiracy man! It's them damn ET's screwing with us, as usual...
DucatiGuy
Monty
Posted 2:06 AM 9/6/08
If everything goes perfectly, this story would be way too boring. After all, we can not have a video within seconds landing of a Martian walking up to the ship and blasting it with it's laser-blaster. That would be anti-climactic. It will take years to discover the secret lair of the Martians and how they are all the illegitimate children of Miley Cirus. Stay tuned, folks .. the dénouement will be amazing!
Monty
The Monarch
Posted 3:11 AM 9/6/08
@Jack Loftus: Best article of recent past/present. I'd buy you a cookie if I could.
The Monarch
92BuickLeSabre
Posted 3:41 AM 9/6/08
I mean, has anybody ever considered maybe that's what was going on? Maybe there wasn't anything wrong with the arm at all! You can't judge without knowing the whole story!
92BuickLeSabre
92BuickLeSabre
Posted 3:38 AM 9/6/08
@Monty: Anti-climactic indeed.
Has anyone considered the flipside? That maybe the "tiny chamber" might have just been a little nervous about accepting an 8' piece of machinery and the robot arm is just being gentlemanly and patient about the whole thing?
92BuickLeSabre
wowcat
Posted 4:00 AM 9/6/08
"Hey! Hey! Look at here! Look at here! Look what's coming! Look, look it's coming! It's here, huh Gilbert! You see it, huh! It's the scoopful of dirt, Gilbert, the scoopful of dirt! Gilbert it's the scoopful of dirt! Aaaaa! scoopful of dirt! Aaaa!" -Mars lander ;)
wowcat
sfokevin
Posted 3:59 AM 9/6/08
It seems at though the scoop arm did his job just fine delivering the goods as designed... I believe it was the receptor door that were not fully opened... You have to remember it is a bit chilly up there... NASA is working late to upload additional foreplay code...
sfokevin
ps61318
Posted 4:39 AM 9/6/08
Martian Probe Onan-1 On Line and Functioning as its Name Would Predict! Film at 11!
ps61318
pharago
Posted 5:08 AM 9/6/08
that is a mess, i dont think the probe is fitted to clean that dirt, maybe im wrong, but it seems like the engineers did not foresaw such an outcome, in any case, it looks like the probe has a serious contamination problem
pharago
EQC
Posted 5:04 AM 9/6/08
Monty: "It will take years to discover the secret lair of the Martians and how they are all the illegitimate children of Miley Cirus"
How dare you bash my precious Miley! Those photos were Artsy! Artsy I tell you! Miley Cyrus is the greatest thing to happen in music since...since...Hanson!
...Damn, that one Hanson chick was sooooo hot. Memories...
EQC
92BuickLeSabre
Posted 5:22 AM 9/6/08
@EQC: "...Damn, that one Hanson chick was sooooo hot."
Love it.
92BuickLeSabre
Karinabob
Posted 7:55 AM 9/6/08
"Scientists will spend next several days trying to figure out the problem (porn)"
Tee heee.
Karinabob
cabowah
Posted 10:19 AM 9/6/08
Oh, that easy! they didn't open the lid for the oven, Or just before the earth was poured into the oven, a sneaky little guy came and closed it.
cabowah
Poon
Posted 3:02 PM 9/6/08
First they were testing the arm for days now they tried it and it got the "jitters". Means they found life and big brother is just buying time.
Poon
Razta
Posted 4:02 AM 11/6/08
Just wait till StarScream steps on it.
Razta
VashtiCadiwampus
Posted 12:55 PM 9/6/08
Perfectly normal, the first load usually lands in surprising places.
VashtiCadiwampus
unmlobo300
Posted 10:57 AM 9/6/08
Still, no four play????////////////////
unmlobo300
unmlobo300
Posted 6:13 AM 9/6/08
No wonder, no foreplay!
unmlobo300