NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months. As anticipated, seasonal decline in sunshine at the robot's arctic landing site is not providing enough sunlight for the solar arrays to collect the power necessary to charge batteries that operate the lander's instruments.
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.
The project team will be listening carefully during the next few weeks to hear if Phoenix revives and phones home. However, engineers now believe that is unlikely because of the worsening weather conditions on Mars. While the spacecraft's work has ended, the analysis of data from the instruments is in its earliest stages.
Phoenix
© Carmen Colombo1996
Out of my ashes
will rise a new phoenix.
A soaring being
returning from death
proving once again
that life is eternal.
I live forever
because the spirit
never dies.
I will return
in another body
in another time,
but it is me.
The me who is me now
will always be.
As long as I live,
I learn.
And I live
F o r e v e r
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