Mars Polar Lander found?

May 6, 2005 11:11 AM

Mars Polar Lander found? The Mars Polar Lander was lost while attempting to land on Mars in December 1999. An initial search for the lander was fruitless. But now Michael Malin of Malin Space Science Systems thinks he may have found the lander's parachute and crashed remains. Meanwhile, some scientists are worried about landers and crashed vehicles contaminating Mars; others think it's not a problem. [via Slashdot]
posted by flug (4 comments total)

"Yeah, right, right, it was just over 'ere, y'know, in our other pair of pants... Found it. Thanks."
posted by klangklangston at 7:11 AM on May 7, 2005

Planetary parks? There goes my dream of salvaging the junk Apollo left on the Moon.

I think the biggest loss of the Polar Lander mission was a little hundred-thousand dollar piece of off-the-shelf equipment: the Mars Microphone. Hearing the first sounds from another world would have been a great way to help humanize robotic space exploration.

And meanwhile, the indefatigable Opportunity rover has got itself stuck in a rut.
posted by steef at 7:23 AM on May 7, 2005

If you're interested in interplanetary sounds, you might have heard the sounds of Titan from the Huygens probe.

Another interesting series of sounds, from a bit closer to home, are sounds of the magnetosphere.

Closer yet: Earthquake sounds. (If you'll pardon a self-link, I made a composition out of earthquake sound recordings a while ago.)

And closest of all, at least if you live in Alabama: Sound of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

[You'll pardon the thread drift . . but do notice how the last neatly completes the circle of "sounds of things recently re-discovered" . . . ]
posted by flug at 3:41 PM on May 7, 2005

Ah! I forgot all about the winds of Titan. Thanks, flug!
posted by steef at 6:56 AM on May 8, 2005