h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK folks, suggestions please as to the real reason NASA's latest <ars probe failed?

My suggestion. The Radio On/Radio Off button wasn't switched before launch. Remember the last probe blew up as a result of metric/imperial non-conversion

Carlas

No, it's more likely they forgot the oxygen supply for the hamster running around the generator wheel.

My theory is that NASA lost the Stanley Kubrick SFX movie they were planning to show after the supposed landing.It would have been cool, or is that COLD!

Maybe it was a gram/ounce screwup this time?

-B-

I have it on good authority that this was another successful sortie by the MAF (Martian Air Force), woe be to NASA...

-N.

I read in the news today that a NASA scientist suggested the craft might have landed on a rock and "fallen over"! Doesn't exactly reinstate confidence in NASA, following the metric/imperial cock-up, does it? You send an unmanned space craft millions of miles to Mars and don't allow for the possibility it might not land on level ground?! Scarcely believable, but sadly this might mark the end of any scientific space exploration that isn't funded by commercial interests. I also remember reading that the first commercial space holiday cruise is due to take off in 2002, and that you can join a queue to get tickets for these ventures. Does anyone know anything about this- I'd love to go into space, provided it isn't going to cost a million bucks...

I don't know, what a ticket will cost, but if you're going to move to Denmark, you'll be able to win a ticket in some kind of TV-show!

" I'd love to go into space, provided it isn't going to cost a million bucks..."

Ooh, bad news. Space tourism is up an running, but it's pretty strictly billionaires only so far.

Jeezy peeps, I saw a lecture by the guy who was heading of Mission, touting the Beagle 2 when I was at Brum Uni. This really brings home how long ago that was!

"reading that the first commercial space holiday cruise is due to take off in 2002"

Oh for the days when 2002 was far in the future.

But at least the other comment above about space probes no longer being controlled by non-commercial organisations didn't materialise. (As far as I remember) and lots of fascinating stuff they have presented us with, too.