Cape Canaveral, Mars Rover Mission Control- What promised to be a nice simple photo-op day for the Mars Rover turned unexpectedly political when the Rover, which was part of President Obama’s Inaugural Parade, was being towed on a flatbed truck down Constitution Avenue. Dale Heinlein, a NASA technician, assigned to monitor the Rover during its Washington visit, accidently turned on the communications and analysis functions of the Mars Rover.
True to its’ mission, as the Rover was being pulled past the House Chamber of the Congress it reportedly sent the following message to Mars Rover Mission Control at Cape Canaveral….”No signs of intelligent life”.