Spotski poses with the Mars Polar Lander, which touched down on the Red Planet on Friday, Dec. 3, 1999. The $165-million mission was to have signaled immediately after touchdown near the polar ice cap,  about 800 kilometres from the Martian south pole, but the lander has been silent. Failure of the lander is a double blow to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, still smarting from the loss of its sibling spacecraft, the Mars Climate Orbiter, three months earlier.
"With engineering like this," snorted Spotski, "what did you expect? Besides, think of all the dog treats you could have bought for $165-million." (Martian United Press photo)