Ill-fated Mars Global Surveyor has human error to blame

While we've no idea how much the Mars Global Surveyor actually cost to construct, launch, and manage whilst hovering around in space, it's entirely likely that a single human error wiped out even more than was initially lost by the Alaska Department of Revenue earlier this year. Sad to say, galaxy geeks everywhere now have a scapegoat to direct their wrath at, as a review board of the mishap found that "a single command (root@mars-surveyor: rm -rf /) that oriented the spacecraft's main communications antenna was sent to the wrong address," subsequently leading to a cataclysmic series of events that finally dismantled its communication system. Interestingly, the command caused the befuddled craft to think that one of its solar panels was "stuck," which eventually led to an autonomous decision to enter "safe mode," followed by a complete shutdown of the unit's onboard batteries. Intelligently, the LA Times report neglected to mention any specific culprit, and hey, living with the guilt of destroying the machine that showed us so much of the Red Planet is probably punishment enough.

[Via Slashdot]

[shaf2k @ Apr 15th 2007 12:36PM]

correct me if i'm wrong but that commands deletes the entire drive...

[tiuk @ Apr 15th 2007 5:29PM]

Ohhh, good catch.

*rolls eyes*

[Bob E @ Apr 15th 2007 12:40PM]

In space
there is no 'safe mode'.

[paloooz @ Apr 16th 2007 3:24AM]

In UNIX, there is no "safe mode."

[Reid Conti @ Apr 15th 2007 12:57PM]

Neither a Unix nor a comedy expert, I see...

[spaceboi @ Apr 15th 2007 1:08PM]

also to "blame" are the brilliant scientists and engineers who designed, built, and operated MGS. The spacecraft fulfilled its primary mission objectives and continued to operate well beyond the designed lifespan.

Where are the props for THAT? Space exploration is really taken for granted by the public-at-large.

[Sam @ Apr 15th 2007 1:18PM]

I still think it was a Decepticon. Let the truth be told, before its too late...

[McGinley @ Apr 15th 2007 1:21PM]

It cost "about $154 million to develop".

Its times like this I'm happy that I dont live in America.

[Tracy in Cary @ Apr 15th 2007 1:57PM]

Huh?

It's times like this I'm happy you don't live in America either. We have our quota of pretentious "experts" from your country. (whatever country that is)

But if you do ever come over, please stop by NASA and show them how a "real" space program like the one in your country does it. Thanks!

[Andrew @ Apr 15th 2007 1:27PM]

This is the reason that when windows offers an update, you say 'no'!

[Ayle @ Apr 15th 2007 1:31PM]

that was an unix command....

[myk @ Apr 15th 2007 1:45PM]

"Its times like this I'm happy that I dont live in America."

Government spending like that keeps thousands of people employed, keeps a pool of technology talent in the US, creates new technology for the private sector and helps US businesses directly and indirectly connected to the space industry.

[Steve Sande @ Apr 15th 2007 3:17PM]

Comments:

1) You seem to forget that Mars Global Surveyor was designed for a three-year primary mission and three-year follow-on mission (total of six years) and was actually working for almost ten years. Like the Mars Exploration Rovers, MGS has gone well beyond design life.

2) To the idiot from "somewhere else" who is glad he/she doesn't live in America: with your attitude, we're glad you don't live here either. If you're European, we can point to your Beagle spacecraft as a good example of a major failure. If you're from one of the other countries around who doesn't even have a unmanned space program, you really don't understand how programs like this drive basic science research that benefits more than just the US.

[tyecies @ Apr 15th 2007 5:25PM]

I'm for space exploration and see all the positive benefits of having NASA (employment, talent pool, tech etc.) but when they're dealing with satellites and probes that cost hundreds of millions of dollars they need to be much MUCH more careful. anyone else remember the mars rover that crashed into mars becuase some people programmed in metric and some in the americal system?

[Goebbels @ Apr 15th 2007 6:53PM]

Huh?

"It's times like this I'm happy you don't live in America either. We have our quota of pretentious "experts" from your country. (whatever country that is)

But if you do ever come over, please stop by NASA and show them how a "real" space program like the one in your country does it. Thanks!"

Tell that to the people that live in New Orleans...it's a shame..parts of USA reaching 3rd world status..

[Ron Larson @ Apr 15th 2007 7:11PM]

Most airplane crashes are also the result of a chain of events, each of which on their own would not cause the complete failure or event a problem.

Unfortunately, human error and Murphy's Law seem to mesh together perfectly.

[Sgt. Sally @ Apr 15th 2007 9:45PM]

$154 million to develop is nothing. The US spends that every few HOURS in Iraq.

[Bill @ Jun 20th 2007 12:36PM]

Great observation, placing the number in context - it's truly mind-boggling!

[PajamaGuy @ Apr 16th 2007 8:20AM]

... There are no dollar bill$ in space. All the money was spent here on earth and most of it ended up in American's paychecks. You can't lose money in space.

[Jeff @ Apr 16th 2007 9:00AM]

Phft. It was probably written in Pascal by some quiche eater.

(props to anyone who catches the reference)

[Brian Ehni @ Jun 20th 2007 10:47AM]

@ Goebbels

New Orleans has ALWAYS been a 3d world country. Ask anyone who's seen the French Quarter in daylight.

[scabby @ Jun 20th 2007 1:02PM]

Or smelled it...

On TOPIC, however... $150million and change is definitely a significant amount of hardware and software to lose by an "oops". But then again, with the millions and millions of actions taken by hundreds of people on a project of that magnitude, you just have to hope that your "oops" is one that can be easily corrected.