4 Dec
2003
4 Dec
'03
10:13 a.m.
One consolation is that it will be broadcasting on the way down (I think). Still, I agree: what a stupid, stupid waste if it only puts out signals from the surface for three minutes! Is that possible? What if they're off a little on wind speed and the probe actually takes four hours to descend? With all this expense and effort, you'd think the planners would have been smart enough to schedule a good long broadcast period from the surface. Did it not have nuclear power on board? That's just dumb. Here's the most important and exciting space probe we've ever launched, and it is intended to emit signals during the most crucial part of the mission for just three minutes! -- Joe