back to article NASA: Curiosity rover's BROKEN ARM doesn't SPELL DOOM for Mars mission

NASA boffins are confident that its Mars-dwelling space tank Curiosity will return to full duty as early as next week, after its mission was temporarily scuppered by a short-circuiting arm. The U.S. space agency said yesterday that it was continuing to analyse what had gone wrong with the rover's arm movements. As The …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    > Get your ass to Mars< > Get your ass to Mars<

    Or in this case, Blackpool sands! Would've thought by now that NASA would have stumped up the money for a 'Day-Saver' ticket, so that one of their technicians could pop over and stick a new 12 volt in it....uckin tight wads.

    1. Andy Non Silver badge

      Re: > Get your ass to Mars< > Get your ass to Mars<

      That would be a last resort. ;-)

    2. Mark 85

      Re: > Get your ass to Mars< > Get your ass to Mars<

      I think the commute to the site is the killer.... on the other hand, whoever goes won't be stuck in traffic.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: > Get your ass to Mars< > Get your ass to Mars<

        "won't be stuck in traffic."

        True. But what time is the next bus?

  2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Alien

    Curiosity did 9/11!

    why the error had occurred during the mission's 911th Martian day

    Do I smell a conspiracy?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Kiss Me Quick

    Maybe it broke when one of the Donkeys (Dolly) got too near and had a nibble? Either that or some burger wrappers and condoms got fast round the wheels? "To Boldly Go"...it does have its perils.

  4. frank ly

    Stay at home siblings

    I'm sure that NASA builds exact replicas of Curiosity (etc) to keep on earth for examination and testing/diagnostic purposes. Do these get to trundle around in a suitable desert environment and drill into rocks to check wear rates and possible failure characteristics?

    1. Notas Badoff
      Unhappy

      Unwanted stepchildren

      I am sure the funding requests for that continue to get rubberstamped by the present Congress just as easily as the previous funding requests.

      (Shoot, I'm 3.5 weeks early!)

    2. Robert Helpmann??
      Childcatcher

      Re: Stay at home siblings

      Yes, they even have an app for that.

  5. MatsSvensson

    I suggest they reverse polarity and rotate the frequencies.

    - You mean like shaking a stubborn ketchup bottle ?

    - Yes, exactly !

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Coat

      You left out oscillating the plasma conduit frequency. That always seems to bring life support/shields/phasers/warp drive back online just in the nick of time :)

      (Mine is the tan rayon shirt--no, not the red one!!)

  6. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    Are they sure

    it wasn't some juvenile Martian wondering 'what happens if I...?'

    If they manage to shoot another selfie, they could find a graffiti: Valentine Michael Smith was here.

    1. Ugotta B. Kiddingme

      Re: Are they sure

      +1 for the Heinlein reference.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Theories

    Bacterial contamination of the drill, with copper eating microbes?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Theories

      Some sea water must've got inside the workings as it went for a trot on the Pleasure Beach.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NASA: "Short-circuiting arm doesn't spell DOOM"

    No, it now spells: Y*m9

  9. oldfartuk

    See, this is what you get for buying rover parts from Wal Mart.

  10. oldfartuk

    ambidextrability

    Now if they have built TWO arms on the thing, it could have fixed itself, including changing the wheel.

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