In December of 1999, NASA’s Mars Polar Lander landed Mars the hard way. According to the theory proposed by NASA’s review board, the lander was lost only meters above the surface of the red planet. During the final minutes of decent, the MPL’s landing legs deployed; the jolt caused by the legs as they locked into place was misinterpreted by the computer as a touchdown signal. The MPL thought it had landed, and the computer’s mistake was a multi-million dollar one. Thinking it had touched down, the computer shut off the lander’s engines too early, causing the MPL to crash into the Martian soil from a height of 130 feet. Until recently, no one knew exactly what became of the lander.
According to an article in Sky & Telescope Magazine, the fate of the poor little guy may now be known.
« The temptation is strong, but the will to resist is stronger Stick to handbags and wallets and stay out of the tech department, Louis. »