Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Uh oh.  Like a teenager forgetting to call his parents to check in, NASA is currently phoning all the friends and hospitals searching for its lost child.  Indeed, the Mars Rover Spirit has missed its check in time and now the worst is feared.

Although only expected to last a few months, the Rover is still going six years in.  Or was going.  Scientists expected dust build up on the solar panels would lead to a steady loss of power but the strong winds have kept the panels charging, at least until recently.

Sounding more and more like a worried parent,

“We don’t have a good explanation yet for the way Spirit has been acting for the past few days. Our next steps will be diagnostic activities,” explains Sharon Laubachm, the leader of a JPL team responsible for writing commands for Spirit”

Radiation is suspected for the “fruitiness” of the electronic gear on the plant.  Mars lacks the strong fields Earth enjoys to keep out harsh radiation.  But really, until we pull up in the MiniVan and embarass the unit in front of all its Martian friends, we won’t know for sure.

Read: [Softpedia]