Mars Rover's Bizarre Behavior Puzzles NASA

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,485345,00.html ^ | 1/29/2009 | Tariq Malik

[james500]

NASA engineers are scratching their heads over some unexpected behavior from the long-lived Spirit rover, which began its sixth year exploring Mars this month.

Spirit failed to report in to engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., last weekend, prompting a series of diagnostic tests this week to hunt the glitch's source.

The aging Mars rover did not beam home a record of its weekend activities and, more puzzlingly, apparently failed to even record any of its actions on Sunday, mission managers said.

...

By Monday, Spirit's mission controllers decided to tell the rover to find the sun with its camera on Tuesday to determine its location on Mars.

Early Tuesday, the rover beamed back that it had tried to follow the instructions of its human handlers, but couldn't find the sun.

[james500]

and then Yul Brynner went crazy and shot James Brolin...

[andy58-in-nh]

I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.

[noblejones]

Don’t worry; Obama will fix it tonight after dinner.

[IrishPennant]

It was the weekend - and remember, what happens on Mars, stays on Mars!

[swarthyguy]

>>The aging Mars rover did not beam home a record of its weekend activities and, more puzzlingly, apparently failed to even record any of its actions on Sunday

Musta been one hell of a weekend.

It’s met an intelligent artifact of an ancient civilization and is mating.....Thanks to James Hogan and one of his great novels.

[max americana]

Something needs a bailout..

[Dilbert56]

Martian Warming

[digger48]

It’s probably depressed like a lot of us over the events of last week.

[anonsquared]

Spirit then beamed back the message... “WHERE’S MY PIE?”

[Maceman]

[ArrogantBustard]

Sane: Good grief, it was designed to run 90 days, and we got SIX YEARS out of it. Where's the beef?

Sarcastic: 0bama just became President ... do you blame it not wanting to work anymore?

Wacko: It Found Evidence of Intelligent Life on MARS!!!! NASA is COVERING IT UP!!!!!

[Ender Wiggin]

The last message was “All work and no play makes Rover a dull Robot”.

[Williams]

I think Rover tipped over.

[BlueNgold]

Truth mirroring fiction?

The Big Bang Theory (TV Show):
Wolowitz tries to impress a girl by letting her drive the Mars Rover - she drives it into a ditch and it gets stuck - the solution ends up being a deletion of the weekend’s data so Howard won’t get caught. (Season 2, Episode 8)

[Red Steel]

[Rover] apparently failed to even record any of its actions on Sunday, mission managers said.

[skinkinthegrass]

maybe...The Martians, have their own "joystick"...controls.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

Early Tuesday, the rover beamed back that it had tried to follow the instructions of its human handlers, but couldn’t find the sun.

following the lead of our new fearless leader, the rover is now also clueless..

[grjr21]

Red Rover, Red Rover, sending Obama right over

[Deaf Smith]

Weekend at Rover’s.

[Crimson Elephant]

So the Rover is a college Freshman? Mars U is a lot of fun it seems.........

[y6162]

“Don’t worry; Obama will fix it tonight after dinner.”

Sobered up Diane Sawyer says he works till 10! W would be in bed.

[Red Steel]

It’s met an intelligent artifact of an ancient civilization and is mating.

[Ancesthntr]

The aging Mars rover did not beam home a record of its weekend activities and, more puzzlingly, apparently failed to even record any of its actions on Sunday, mission managers said.

Come on, this one is easy! The rover received permission late last year to be recognized as a bank holding company, and it received a bunch of TARP funds. Of course, no one knows how much, and rover refuses to say how much or what it was used for.

[Loud Mime]

Maybe it's trying to find the place where the Astronauts landed?

[atomic_dog]

The Makron got it.

[Repeal The 17th]

“...it had tried to follow the instructions of its human handlers,
but couldn’t find the sun...”
-
Damn, I’ve had days like that, too.

[Repeal The 17th]

I thought that was “V-GER”.

[colorado tanker]

Ping. This is a great thread!

[TexasRepublic]

The rover is probably stuck in some Martian’s garage. The kid told his mother it followed him home and he is begging her to let him keep it, that it wouldn’t eat much power.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

I think rover is holding hopes on Obamas stimulus package...

[Diogenesis]

[Defiant]

Coffee all over my screen.

[Professional Engineer]

The returned data just says:

1:4:9

[screaminsunshine]

Maybe it hooked up with the other rover...or...It joined the union under the new Obama union plan and wanted a family leave day.

[Ben Mugged]

John Murtha wants it charged with mutiny and shot.

In further news Congress added 6 trillion dollars to the bailout bill to transport a firing squad of Marines to Mars. On hearing this would be a one-way trip, John Murtha said "Semper Fi".

[Don Corleone]

Obama’s fault!

[Gator113]

Obama has been in office for only 9 days, and he’s already destroyed the sun... great, now what?

[Wolfstar]

Sane: Good grief, it was designed to run 90 days, and we got SIX YEARS out of it. Where's the beef?"

According to NASA, the rovers 'Spirit' and 'Opportunity' have lasted more than 20 times their initial three-month mission plan, with each suffering from aches and pains associated with their longevity.

Sigh. Growing old is a bitch.

[reagan_fanatic]

Early Tuesday, the rover beamed back that it had tried to follow the instructions of its human handlers, but couldn't find the sun.

Maybe there was a host on it.

[Logic n' Reason]

No doubt, this guy had something to do with it!!

Ya think??

[txroadkill]

Maybe they should ask this guy to push the reset button.

[wxgesr]

Too bad we havn’t been to Urbumholio yet.

[Mom MD]

bookmark

[Blue Highway]

good one there.

[Star Traveler]

Either it’s been assimilated by the Borg, or it’s developing Alzheimers...

[tvdog12345]

Sigh. Growing old is a bitch.

It went to the cafeteria at 4:00 pm and forgot where it parked the car.

[Malsua]

and then Yul Brynner went crazy and shot James Brolin...

What's that...like a "future Westworld"?

[jaz.357]

[Wolfstar]

It went to the cafeteria at 4:00 pm and forgot where it parked the car.

ROFLMBO! :)