[NormsRevenge]

This artist rendering released by NASA shows the Demonstration for Autonomous Rendezvous (DART) spacecraft, foreground, as it might appear as it approaches a communications satellite in orbit above Earth. The NASA spacecraft designed to autonomously carry out a series of tasks crashed into its target after using too much fuel halfway through its mission, according to a report summary released Monday, May 15, 2006. Investigators blamed the collision on faulty navigational data that caused the DART spacecraft to believe that it was backing away from its target when it was actually bearing down on it. (AP Photo/HO, NASA)

[clyde asbury]

ping

[kAcknor]

Is it paranoid or hopeful when I imagine that this mission was successful with 'failed test' for a cover story? ;)

[Right Wing Assault]

What kind of sensor would mistake toward and away? That is child's play!

Investigators also raised issues with the mission's management style, saying that lack of training and experience caused the DART design team to shun expert advice. They also found that internal checks and balances were inadequate in uncovering the mission's shortcomings.

Maybe there is an answer here. Children designed it? But where were mom and dad?

[Bones75]

Seems like someone's got pretty good aim to me.

The expanse up there is so vast, and these spacecraft so small, it's stil a pretty impressive feat..

Then again I've always been impressed at the ability to dock spacecraft in orbit.

[Socratic]

So, did it actually have too little fuel left to complete the mission (when it actually struck its target), or was it faulty sensors which indicated a false fuel reading. Or was it that pesky little sensor which couldn't differentiate between moving toward or away from the target. There are too many explanations for this to be the truth.

[Jeff Gordon]

Another successful test of a satellite killer.

[Junior]

The excessive firings of its engines were caused by inaccurate navigational data from its on-board computer that caused it to reset every three minutes during the mission.