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Probe That Just Left Solar System Already Starting To Regret It
Cold feet at -455°.
NASA’s Explorer 6, a $300 million probe which finally left the outer bounds of our solar system last week, is reportedly already regretting it. According to one scientist close to the project (given anonymity to discuss sensitive operational matters), NASA engineers began receiving data from Explorer indicating that “the moment it passed Pluto it began to slow down, rotate slowly and focus its thousand state of the art camera lenses on the distant Earth.”
Engineers now believe the craft’s transmissions indicate that Explorer “believes it messed up big time” by leaving our cozy, well-lit and relatively warmer corner of the galaxy and would like to return immediately.
Sadly, it is unclear if such a return is possible.
The vessel’s ongoing scientific mission, according to NASA briefing materials, is intended to last until 2040. Its final act will be an attempt to measure radiation emitting from an ultra hot star known as A90971327xb, an effort guaranteed to destroy the vessel.
Explorer “wasn’t programmed to know about that bit. It thinks it’s going to an intergalactic award ceremony for very special and good robots.”
Concern is growing that the probe’s apparent regret may cause it to simply turn around beforehand, and scientists aren’t sure what to do if that happens.
“We’ll probably just blow it up and blame it on an asteroid.”
This story is still developing.
