# A Zombie Spacecraft, a Zombie McDonald’s, a Zombie Radio **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-zombie-spacecraft-a-zombie-mcdonald-s-a-zombie-radio/690835 "2014-06-15T18:02:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-zombie-spacecraft-a-zombie-mcdonald-s-a-zombie-radio/690835/1 "2014-06-15T18:02:47Z")
I found this to be really cool and just had to share. [Here is Zombie Mission Control.](http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/06/15/us/JP-ZOMBIE-2/JP-ZOMBIE-2-articleLarge.jpg) [spoiler] For 17 years, it has been drifting on a lonely course through space. Launched during the disco era and shuttered by NASA in 1997, the spacecraft is now returning to the civilization that abandoned it. It seemed destined to pass without fanfare, except for a slight chance of slamming into the moon, and then loop aimlessly through the inner solar system. But now, a shoestring group of civilians headquartered in a decommissioned McDonald’s have reached out and made contact with it — a long-distance handshake that was the first step toward snaring it back into Earth’s orbit. The zombie spaceship is coming home.[/spoiler]The rest of the story… [_ **Calling Back a Zombie Ship From the Graveyard of Space** _](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/science/space/calling-back-a-zombie-ship-from-the-graveyard-of-space.html?emc=edit_th_20140615&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=69477982&_r=0) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-zombie-spacecraft-a-zombie-mcdonald-s-a-zombie-radio/690835/2 "2014-06-15T18:09:25Z")
Are they going to tell the probe what to do with itself? Or did it come back to just talk to whales? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-zombie-spacecraft-a-zombie-mcdonald-s-a-zombie-radio/690835/3 "2014-06-15T19:04:40Z")
Carbon unit infestation! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-zombie-spacecraft-a-zombie-mcdonald-s-a-zombie-radio/690835/4 "2014-06-15T19:05:56Z")
I left one more Trek reference for whoever wants to go back that far. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-zombie-spacecraft-a-zombie-mcdonald-s-a-zombie-radio/690835/5 "2014-06-15T19:40:59Z")
At the end of the article, it mentions that one of the scientists involved wants to send the craft to another comet but the guy in charge of the private company behind this thinks that would be too expensive. By “too expensive”, I’m assuming they mean some cost under a million bucks. Given that the spacecraft is already out there, it’s not too expensive but instead is a huge bargain. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-zombie-spacecraft-a-zombie-mcdonald-s-a-zombie-radio/690835/6 "2014-06-15T21:26:35Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > I found this to be really cool and just had to share. > > \ > > The zombie spaceship is coming home.[/spoiler]The rest of the story… > [_ **Calling Back a Zombie Ship From the Graveyard of Space** _](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/science/space/calling-back-a-zombie-ship-from-the-graveyard-of-space.html?emc=edit_th_20140615&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=69477982&_r=0) That is indeed really cool and many thanks for sharing it.