Computer Woes Slow Mars Craft

Soil photos lost in transmission 'not really critical,' but lander's mission delayed
By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 19, 2008 3:16 PM CDT
Computer Woes Slow Mars Craft
Phoenix's Robotic Arm scoop containing a soil sample poised over the partially open door of the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer's number four cell, or oven.   (AP Photo)

The Phoenix Mars Lander stopped digging yesterday to give its memory a rest after a computer glitch caused the loss of photographs and scientific data, the AP reports. Scientists were alerted to the problem after the lander transmitted a single piece of information 45,000 times. "It's unfortunate to lose any bit of science," one scientist said. "But it's not really critical stuff that you kick yourself over." (More Phoenix Mars Lander stories.)

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