The database or portions of data which are copyrighted by the Los Angeles Times may not be reproduced, stored in machine-readable form or transmitted by any means. In no event may there be any downloading to retrieval systems of business or governmental entities for subsequent search and retrieval uses. We're all a little nervous. At least I am. The near-miss was the failure of a solar wing to properly extend on NASA's Global Surveyor, launched Nov. 7 and en route to the Red Planet.
Engineers insist they can work around the problem.
The complete miss was the Russian probe which failed shortly after liftoff and fell from orbit two weeks ago, bringing worries that plutonium on board might contaminate Earth upon re-entry. The Pathfinder will be carrying plutonium, but less than one-third of an ounce. It's just enough to keep the rover warm as it roams the frosty Martian surface. Pathfinder will be the last spacecraft sent to Mars until late 1998 at the earliest. Spaceflight to Mars is considered feasible only every two years because of the alignment between the two planets.