The Mars Phoenix Lander Says Goodnight

Posted by Miss Cellania in Science & Tech on November 11, 2008 at 12:59 am


The Mars Phoenix Lander has been guest blogging at Gizmodo. Today, it sent its last post.

This final entry is one that I asked be posted after my mission team announces they’ve lost contact with me. Today is that day and I must say good-bye, but I do it in triumph and not in grief.

As I’ve said before, there’s no other place I’d rather be than here. My mission lasted five months instead of three, and I’m content knowing that I worked hard and accomplished great things during that time. My work here is done, but I leave behind a legacy of images and data.

The Martian winter produces insufficient sunlight to recharge the lander’s solar batteries. NASA will continue to update the Phoenix Twitter feed as the data sent from Mars is interpreted. Link -via Digg

See some suggested epitaphs for Mars Phoenix at Wired. Link

Also worth noting is the Twitter message from October 30th:

Take care of that beautiful blue marble out there in space, our home planet. I’ll be keeping an eye from here. Space exploration FTW!


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12 comments to "The Mars Phoenix Lander Says Goodnight"

  1. DOJ
    November 11th, 2008 at 1:13 am

    It'd be pretty cool if Phoenix woke up next Martian spring.

  2. SenorMysterioso
    November 11th, 2008 at 2:26 am

    it would be very cool

  3. Ratz
    November 11th, 2008 at 4:56 am

    Do these pieces of kit hibernate over the dark months and restart when there's enough light to get them running?

  4. ted
    November 11th, 2008 at 7:26 am

    I dunno. Gets pretty cold and lonely out there on those Martian winters nights. Sometimes, a Rover's gotta do what a Rover's gotta do in order to survive.

  5. Rocky Rook
    November 11th, 2008 at 7:35 am

    So sad. I too hope he wakes up next spring.

  6. MENLOHEAVYWEIGHT
    November 11th, 2008 at 10:30 am

    Quitter!

  7. xadrian
    November 11th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

    I take solace knowing that when we eventually colonize Mars there will be monuments people can visit for all these rovers and crashed satellites. I hope who ever gets there first doesn't try to resurrect it or move it. Just put a glass box over it and a plaque.

  8. Ali S.
    November 11th, 2008 at 1:57 pm

    @ xadrian

    I like that idea to incase the machine in a glass case. :)

  9. McD
    November 11th, 2008 at 3:16 pm

    I don't understand why they didn't leave an auxiliary battery in there with juice enough to let Phoenix start making power again once the winter is over and the sun comes back out.

  10. NicoNicoNico
    November 11th, 2008 at 11:21 pm

    @McD, they had no way to heat it. The battery was warming itself using the solar panels, so no sun means the battery freezes over, and frozen electronics are never happy campers.

    Goodbye, my sweet Phoenix. We can only hope you live up to your name and rise from the ashes, so to speak. Man, I am in such a mood for cliches tonight.

  11. rylo
    November 12th, 2008 at 12:43 am

    it made more than 250k and didn't want obama taking it's money

  12. lovemeordie236
    November 15th, 2008 at 1:52 am

    FTW!!


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