Re: JPL: Mars polar lander update

Amara Graps (amara@amara.com)
Wed, 3 Nov 1999 18:43:15 +0100

Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net) Mon, 01 Nov 1999 wrote:

>Brian D Williams wrote:
>
>> NASA's Mars Polar Lander spacecraft successfully fired its
>> thrusters for 12 seconds this morning to fine-tune its flight...
>
>Wow, thanks Brian! I was *sure* some yahoo would work this into a
>kilometers vs miles gag. spike

Believe it or not, there were a few hundred scientists making jokes (knowing that it is not a laughing matter, but sometimes all one can do is find humor in it) about the conversion of units thing at the AAS annual Division of Planetary Sciences conference last month (and since the meeting was in Italy this year, the European contingent was present in large numbers and found great humor in it too).

Amara


Amara Graps               | Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik
Interplanetary Dust Group | Saupfercheckweg 1
+49-6221-516-543          | 69117 Heidelberg, GERMANY
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