This Mars Probe Went Missing

This Mars Probe Went Missing

Thirty-two years ago today, on Aug. 21, 1993, NASA’s Mars Observer went eerily quiet—a few days before it was slated to enter Martian orbit. The robotic craft, depicted in this illustration, was sent to inspect the planet’s atmosphere, geology, and climate. It took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida in September 1992. But after entering a suspected fatal tailspin about three days out from Mars, it hasn’t been heard from since.  Nautilus Members…