Phoenix Lander on Mars has ceased operation as winter moves in, power ran out and batteries died.
Mission engineers last received a signal from the lander on Nov. 2. Phoenix, in addition to shorter daylight, has encountered a dustier sky, more clouds and colder temperatures as the northern Mars summer approaches autumn. The mission exceeded its planned operational life of three months to conduct and return science data.
I don't think it will come back to life next martian summer. Unlikely the batteries will recharge and not much chance the electronics would come back on.
Be interesting to hear what the analysis of the samples shows in the long run.
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Every few minutes I get an email from NASA telling me which button they've pressed on the Phoenix Robot, recently landed on Mars. And I'm only slightly exaggerating. OK, I'm exaggerating a lot.
The latest: Phoenix has been commanded to move its arm:
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Like Jerry the Goldfish, whom I found doing the old back paddle this morning, the Mars Phoenix Lander has ceased communications after five months of operation. This is the seasonally dark time in arctic Mars, and there is a lot of dust in the air for some reason, so there is no longer enough power…
That is not dead which can eternal lie ... Phoenix ftaghn!
pining for the fjords?
Au revoir Phoenix.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie ..."
"strange aeons death may die..."
(Cthulhu's brother)
Well, Phoenix, thanks for the memories; hopefully there are good data for the mining...