Mars Says: Go Away.For the second time in two months, the U.S. space agency lost contact with a spacecraft as it approached Mars on an exploratory mission. The Mars Polar Lander fell mysteriously silent in December as it entered the planet's atmosphere en route to a landing. For seven days, officials at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), civilian agency of the U.S. federal government with the mission of conducting research and developing operational programs in the areas of space exploration, artificial satellites (see satellite, artificial), rocketry, and space telescopes (see Hubble Space Telescope) and observatories. It is also responsible for international cooperation in space matters. NASA came into existence on Oct. (NASA) tried to reestablish contact, but without success. The failed lander mission followed the loss in September of the Mars Climate Orbiter, which flew off course and was destroyed. NASA is investigating possible causes for the latest failure, including budget constraints that may have led the agency to cut corners on the lander's design. Then again, maybe the Martians just didn't want us bugging them. |
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