Alien sabotage.

How mysterious a glitch?

mysterious like, 2 seconds of clear transmission, then shaking and static, then - nothing? or was it "oh shit, that blasted transmitter isn't working. we thought this might happen?"

Moon Jizz? Maybe the moon is trying to make babies with the rings. They are pretty sexy.

i was really just kidding in my last post about this mission but apparently i jinxed it or something...

More pictures, please.

I believe it was a software update just prior to the planned fly-thru that caused the communications failure. And by failure, I mean "failure". Seems to me like they were trying to hide something. ;-)

A mysterious signal was sent that disrupted normal telemetry:

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS
EXCEPT ENCELADUS
ATTEMPT NO LANDINGS HERE
USE THEM TOGETHER
USE THEM IN PEACE

(And spellcheck tried to tell me I was trying to type "ENCHILADAS". Might even be funnier that way...)

Despite the sensational headline, only one instrument (out of seven) failed to record data. Overall, the flyby was a wild success. More images, processed by amateurs from the raw images, can be found here

@MajorMattMason

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll use that for a note the next time I bring an enchilada to work for lunch and leave it in the office fridge. Or maybe I should wait to use it until 2010 -- much more meta.

so what? transmission was interrupted... where are the results from the analysis? lost? that is much more than a simple software 'glitch', this story smells funny, to say the least

Moon Jizz? Is that a scientific term? Can I use that?

Windows Update was trying to run at the same time as the transmission and it corrupted the data.

Apparently the probe was unable to transmit information about the particulate matter in the plume. But as you can see, they still got amazing pictures. Another pass through the plumes is also planned, so we may yet get our jizz samples.

@slinted: Very pretty images. A tad disapointed at the lack of lunar money shots this time around.
And "moon jizz"? Honestly! Annalee your gift for language never ceases to amaze, or disturb--I forget which. Perhaps the moon in question should be renames "Ejaculadus".

@Grey_Area: Moon jizz has a ring to it, you have to admit.

"...ring to it", HA-HAW! No, it really was clever. I owe you and Charlie a drink or two for all the journalistic spiffiness & entertainment you bring to these tired ol' eyes. Be seeing you (not a stalker).

God, I love the idea of there being life on one of Saturn/Jupiter's moons.