Japanese fail to salvage Mars mission

[Shyriath]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/12/09/japan.mars.ap/index.html

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Japan abandoned its troubled mission to Mars Tuesday, after space officials failed in their final effort to put the Nozomi probe back on course to orbit the Red Planet.

The probe, Japan's first interplanetary explorer, was set to end a five-year journey when it reached Mars next week. But officials at JAXA, Japan's space agency, said Nozomi was off target and that they would try to fire its engines late Tuesday to save the mission. It would be their final attempt because the probe was short on fuel.

JAXA spokesman Junichi Moriuma said the operation had failed, and that scientists had given up hope of salvaging the probe.

"Our mission to explore Mars is over," Moriuma told The Associated Press. "After today's attempt, almost all of the probe's fuel is gone."

Maybe Mars is cursed?

[mmm]

1. What a hoot for the Martians!

They are knocking back cold beer, watching this stuff live
on the big screen. They cannot wait to tip over the next
landing craft. What a hoot!