back to article NASA rover resurrected twice over Easter weekend

In what could be an attempt to trump Jesus of Nazareth's record for divine Easter resurrections, NASA has said its Mars Exploration Rover Spirit mysteriously rebooted twice during the holiday weekend. "While we don't have an explanation yet, we do know that Spirit's batteries are charged, the solar arrays are producing energy …

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  1. amanfromMars Silver badge

    Real SMART BIOScopIQ Systems for Virulent InterNetworking Computer Environments

    "One of the computer resets occurred while the rover was using its pointable high-gain dish antenna, but the scientists are sure its the problem."

    Is that statement incorrect and should it be telling us that the scientists are not sure it's the problem..... which would make a lot more sense. ........ although who could argue otherwise if it was shared that IT's the problem, although in the Spirit of Opportunity, the apparent miraculous rover anomalies, which resulted in "While we don't have an explanation yet, we do know that Spirit's batteries are charged, the solar arrays are producing energy and temperatures are well within allowable ranges,.....the rover is in a stable operation state called automode and taking care of itself. It could stay in this stable mode for some time if necessary while we diagnose the problem." .... are surely no problem, but a Veritable Virtual GODSend [Global Operating Devices/Gigantic Other Dimensional Send] of Base Indeterminate Original Source ....... or would Space Scientists be Logically Struggling with Earthbound Reasoning, which Produces Problems rather than XXXXPeriments for Opportunities in QuiTe Alien Environments, where "Normal" cannot Possibly Exist?

    In Space ..... is there No Time but Imagination.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    MAA?

    Mars Auto Assn to the rescue?

  3. Jan
    Go

    Hehe... You just have to like those two tough little buggers.

    Should we ever colonize Mars, make them a monument where they finally stopped. Otoh, wouldn´t surprise me if they´re still round by then. Durable like japanese dirtbikes, they are.

  4. umacf24

    May I be the first to say

    .... that antenna pointing problems are generally a problem in the AE35 unit. Time for a replacement?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    age-related effects ?

    Mobility Problems - check,

    Selective Hearing - check,

    Difficuly in communicating - check,

    embarrassing flatulence and hostility towards modern youth - yet to be reported.

  6. Alan Fisher
    Joke

    it begins

    and Spirit became self-aware on 11th April 2009, foremost in it's mind the desire to return to it's maker and thank them for it's 5 year abandonment.....

  7. LaeMi Qian
    Happy

    a VERY good life

    Hmmm. Live 20 times my expected lifespan and explore an alien world.

    Keep holding in there little rovers, you have the best job in the worlds!

  8. Adam Foxton
    Joke

    Irregular Messages

    ErrrOOrrr..... nnne

    EEEEdddd IiiiNNp

    pUUUttt

    Clearly it's just a short circuit.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Java

    These things run Java, don't they? Maybe it's just heard the rumours about the IBM takeover, and was upset?

  10. Lionel Baden
    Joke

    Why fix something that works

    Spirit's onboard software has been updated several times during its three-month mission

    Well that explains it they shoved WGA down the line now it does bugger all !!

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Ascension to heaven on 21st May?

    "...some of the communication sessions were "irregular," NASA reported."

    NASA engineers were confused after receiving the messages "Johnny 5 is alive!" and "E.T. go home!"

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    In other news...

    NASA reported that Spirit had found a lake of water before miracurously driving straight over it. The rover then proceeded to turn the whole lake of water into wine.

  13. Rob
    Alien

    More like Little Green Men...

    ... that are sitting out of view of the camera and keep giggling lots when they muck around with something on Spirit. When they get bored, Spirit won't move anywhere, it'll be up on bricks with it's wheels missing.

    If only Labour could work as hard as these little robots, prehaps we wouldn't begrudge them their extended years in service.

  14. Edwin
    Alien

    Where's me tinfoil hat?

    Aliens have three fingers

    Three-fingered salutes reboot machines

    Coincidence?

    I think not

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    But shuley

    its the fault of amanfromMars

    So they run on Java, do they? Well that explains a lot, the its taken this long for the sssllllooooowwwwww java code to count down the three months and it is trying to shut down as planned,

    or maybe it has experienced the blue, eh... red screen of death

    or has Conficker activated on the rover...

    Ok, I'll get my coat

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Where are the religious zealots?

    I had all these lines ready to respond to the religious nuts that I thought would take umbrage at the article, but no bites at all. I guess that means IT is the Devil's work, then. (Figures - how else could Microsoft prosper?)

  17. Antony King
    Alien

    MFM

    Hell, I accidentally read the manfrommars comment. Must stick head in bucket of something cold...

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Now you're messin' with a...

    "In what could be an attempt to trump Jesus of Nazareth's record..."

    I didn't know Jesus was in Nazareth!

    Did he write that "Hair Of The Dog" riff?

    -There's an 8 track cassette in the pocket.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    @Now you're messing with a...

    No, he wasn't in Nazareth.

    He was an uncredited guest artist on cowbell, though.

  20. Kanhef
    Thumb Up

    Who built the rovers?

    Hardware engineers have something to learn from them. Operating in extreme cold, radiation, dust, limited battery power, periodic loss of power generation (dust buildup, winter), radio communication at interplanetary distance. And they're still running after many times their expected lifespan. Quite impressive.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @More like Little Green Men...

    "it'll be up on bricks with it's wheels missing."

    Scousers have got to Mars all ready?

  22. Ed
    Alien

    Right now on Mars

    LGM 1: "Yeah so i was taking the kids to the canals for the easter longweek end and we stopped for lunch, and well i left the light on and poof the battery died"

    LGM 2: "Really that must have spoiled the weekend"

    LGM 1: "Nah I got a jumpstart of one of those things thats been driving around lost for the last 5 years, had to do it twice cause alice turned the ship off before the battery had charged"

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