In what is being hailed as the most out-of-this-world IT blunder in recent history, a helpdesk ticket logged last Tuesday revealed that an astronaut accidentally uploaded a collection of dad jokes to the Mars Rover instead of a crucial software update designed to fix navigation glitches.
The ticket, submitted by Mission Control engineer Karen Smoot, detailed an unexpected “comedy routine” emerging from the rover’s data logs during routine diagnostics. Instead of the anticipated code patch, the rover was spitting out groan-worthy one-liners such as, “Why did the star break up with the moon? Because it needed space,” and “I told my spaceship to take a day off, but it spaced out anyway.”
Further investigation traced the source of the mishap to Commander Jeff Armstrong, who had apparently intended to send the latest software update but inadvertently attached a file labeled “Mars_Jokes_V2” from his personal folder. The mix-up occurred during a caffeine-fueled late-night upload session following a particularly grueling Mars weather patch review.
“At first, we thought the rover was malfunctioning or maybe sending some cryptic signals,” said Smoot. “Then we realized it was just dad jokes beaming back from 140 million miles away. Honestly, it’s the first time the rover has made us laugh in months.”
Mission Control swiftly reversed the upload, and the intended software update was sent successfully within the hour. However, the dad joke patch left a surprisingly positive effect on team morale. As a result, NASA is now reportedly considering a “humor patch” as part of periodic updates to maintain morale both on Earth and in space.
When reached for comment, Commander Armstrong said, “I guess even Mars needed a little levity. Next time, I’ll double-check my attachments… or maybe just send a joke straight to Earth.”
Meanwhile, the Mars Rover continues its mission, now equipped with both cutting-edge software and an unexpected new repertoire of cosmic puns.