First off, yes, you are correct that they were felons, technically, since they did endanger the security of the program (these programs were so secret that not even the guards and facilities people knew what was going on in the building). IIRC, they were reprimanded for that little stunt. Dots? In the resolution of the time (this was film, not CCD), you can easily make them out as human forms, but not (luckily for them) well enough to be identifiable.

Wow, the 2600! Not a very popular model series, but I think they were great. More of a boulevard cruiser than sports car. That big (well, big for an Alfa) straight six was a beautiful piece of work, but not as responsive as the four. A relaxed powerhouse rather than a sprinter.

- Jack

Venus is closer to Earth than Mars – and, yes, it is circled by a human artefact -the ESA Spaceprobe Venus express.

In fact, we’ve got a hat-trick going :

Venus – Venus Express
Earth – thousands (?) of satellites from Sputnik to Landsat to HST & ISS ..
Mars – Mars Express, Marsodysssey, Mars Global Surveyor (silent but circlin’)

Then we’ve got the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn at present but with nothing round Jove or Neptune or Ouranos or Pluto or Eris ..or Sedna, Ceres, Mercury et al ..

Correct me if I’m wrong but I think at one time back in the 90’s we had even more consecutive planets circled …

Venus – Magellan
Earth -well lots & lots
Mars – Mars pathfinder, Mars Global Survetor, Mars Odyssey
&
Jupiter – Galileo (Given a Viking funeral in the clouds of Jove around late 90’s early-00’s.)

Anyone know if :

a) I’m right thinking those orbital missions all overlapped (so to speak)
b) If we’ve ever done as well or even better in encircling planets by probes in a row?
&
c) Whatever happened to the Viking orbiters? Were they re-entered into the Martian atmos or are they still circling silently?

Jack Hagerty – I guess those two fellows showed up as actual human forms in the imagery or at least detectible extra dots? (BTW – the Alpha Romeo 2600 – one of my favorites.)

The earth is flat!!!! Just look outside and it’s obvious.

Only earth has life.

PSYCHEDELIC