mamadrama
The Living Force
On Monday NASA declared an end to the Phoenix mission, some five months after the spacecraft became the first to land in Mars' arctic plains and "taste" water on another planet. Phoenix's demise was predicted and its days were numbered from the outset. With sunlight waning and winter encroaching the arctic plains, scientists had said it was a matter of time before Phoenix would freeze to death.
Mission engineers have not heard from the Phoenix lander in over a week. It fell silent shortly after a raging dust storm blocked sunlight from reaching its solar panels. Although ground controllers will direct two satellites orbiting Mars to listen for Phoenix for several more weeks, they say the chances that it will respond are slim.
Its crowning achievement was providing proof there is water on Mars.
_http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7721032.stm
Mission engineers have not heard from the Phoenix lander in over a week. It fell silent shortly after a raging dust storm blocked sunlight from reaching its solar panels. Although ground controllers will direct two satellites orbiting Mars to listen for Phoenix for several more weeks, they say the chances that it will respond are slim.
Its crowning achievement was providing proof there is water on Mars.
_http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7721032.stm