The first victim of the Great Galactic Ghoul that some students of Mars jokingly suspect protects the place from nosy Earthlings was Nozomi, Japan's effort to get to the planet.

ECONOMIST: The current crop of Mars missions has got off to a bad start

Three spacecraft (two Russian and one American) were sent in the planet's direction, but all fell victim to the Great Galactic Ghoul that some researchers jokingly suggest protects Mars from human prying.

ECONOMIST: Martian chronicles