Volunteer pilot to save NASA Mars Rover Spirit from hibernation

PRESS RELEASE
Aeronautical News Network, London
05:43 GMT, 2008-04-01

Volunteer pilot to save NASA Mars Rover Spirit from hibernation.


NASA's Planetary Science Division last week announced a $16 million cut
to the Mars program, including $4 million in rover operations this year.
When these cuts are implemented they will require that at least one of
the rovers, likely Spirit, be put in a state of hibernation. Spirit
already is curtailing operations for the Martian winter and this is not
expected to pose a immediate major threat to the rover program. But,
more ominously, larger cuts might be necessary later on.

Since 2004, Spirit and Opportunity have been astonishing scientists and
the public alike as the instrumented six-wheeled vehicles explored
desert Martian sands, deep meteor craters and rocky terrain in search of
evidence of ancient life-giving water and sent stunning photographs back
to Earth. The Mars Rover photos are one of the most popular NASA
programs as evidenced by over one hundred million photo downloads by the
general public.

NASA had planned to put the solar-powered rover Spirit into a kind of
hibernation for the coming Martian winter, with its wheels immobile and
almost all its instruments shut down. Opportunity, now probing a layer
of puzzling bedrock inside a huge crater named Victoria halfway across
the planet from Spirit, would have had its movements limited. An
additional $8 million might be cut from the rover program. The budget
cut order sent a shudder not only through the rover operating office at
JPL in Pasadena, but also through the wider science community that views
the rovers as one of NASA's most glittering successes.

However the Press and space aficionados were delighted today when NASA
spokesperson Flair Pool announced that a volunteer pilot has offered to
take over operation of the Mars Rover Spirit to keep it from being put
into hibernation. Ms. Pool introduced Pilot-Journalist Jim Campbell as
the new Mars Rover pilot. Speaking from his secret undisclosed location
in Florida (or perhaps North Carolina) Campbell announced that he'll
begin piloting the Mars Rover Spirit immediately.

"As a former world altitude record holder for Ultralight Aircraft, I'm
well prepared for any piloting challenge", Campbell told the press
conference, "As the current world record holder for the most different
types of aircraft piloted I've already logged thousands of hours as Mars
Rover Pilot in Command." Campbell, sometimes called 'Captain Zoom' by
his fans (both of them), continued "I've spun and rolled and looped the
Mars Rover and I'm happy to report that it has wonderfully linear
control harmony and it displays minimal phugoid oscillations blasting
through the Mojave desert at well over Mach One, or boogying along at
400 kph - wingtip to wingtip in a flight of nearly a dozen, or free
falling all alone - from nearly ten miles up."

In article , Flair Pool says...

PRESS RELEASE
Aeronautical News Network, London
05:43 GMT, 2008-04-01

Volunteer pilot to save NASA Mars Rover Spirit from hibernation.


NASA's Planetary Science Division last week announced a $16 million cut
to the Mars program, including $4 million in rover operations this year.
When these cuts are implemented they will require that at least one of
the rovers, likely Spirit, be put in a state of hibernation. Spirit
already is curtailing operations for the Martian winter and this is not
expected to pose a immediate major threat to the rover program. But,
more ominously, larger cuts might be necessary later on.

Since 2004, Spirit and Opportunity have been astonishing scientists and
the public alike as the instrumented six-wheeled vehicles explored
desert Martian sands, deep meteor craters and rocky terrain in search of
evidence of ancient life-giving water and sent stunning photographs back
to Earth. The Mars Rover photos are one of the most popular NASA
programs as evidenced by over one hundred million photo downloads by the
general public.

NASA had planned to put the solar-powered rover Spirit into a kind of
hibernation for the coming Martian winter, with its wheels immobile and
almost all its instruments shut down. Opportunity, now probing a layer
of puzzling bedrock inside a huge crater named Victoria halfway across
the planet from Spirit, would have had its movements limited. An
additional $8 million might be cut from the rover program. The budget
cut order sent a shudder not only through the rover operating office at
JPL in Pasadena, but also through the wider science community that views
the rovers as one of NASA's most glittering successes.

However the Press and space aficionados were delighted today when NASA
spokesperson Flair Pool announced that a volunteer pilot has offered to
take over operation of the Mars Rover Spirit to keep it from being put
into hibernation. Ms. Pool introduced Pilot-Journalist Jim Campbell as
the new Mars Rover pilot. Speaking from his secret undisclosed location
in Florida (or perhaps North Carolina) Campbell announced that he'll
begin piloting the Mars Rover Spirit immediately.

"As a former world altitude record holder for Ultralight Aircraft, I'm
well prepared for any piloting challenge", Campbell told the press
conference, "As the current world record holder for the most different
types of aircraft piloted I've already logged thousands of hours as Mars
Rover Pilot in Command." Campbell, sometimes called 'Captain Zoom' by
his fans (both of them), continued "I've spun and rolled and looped the
Mars Rover and I'm happy to report that it has wonderfully linear
control harmony and it displays minimal phugoid oscillations blasting
through the Mojave desert at well over Mach One, or boogying along at
400 kph - wingtip to wingtip in a flight of nearly a dozen, or free
falling all alone - from nearly ten miles up."

Ya got me !!April Fools!!! Boy did I bite Good one :-)

Funny I looked at ANN today for the annual April fool issue and found zoom said
he was doing a half serious, half April Fool issue today. I wasn't able to tell
which was which LOL!!!

Chuck S RAH-14/1 ret

Flair Pool wrote:

PRESS RELEASE
Aeronautical News Network, London
05:43 GMT, 2008-04-01

Volunteer pilot to save NASA Mars Rover Spirit from hibernation.


April Fools!