RIP Phoenix
Phoenix has announced on its Twitter feed that it’s likely at the end of its mission. They haven’t heard from the lander in over a week at this point, and it’s not looking very hopeful that they’ll have enough power to do so in the next few weeks before we go into conjunction.
The last image we took of the lander shows it sitting pretty, just as it has been since May 25th. We’ll take another picture this week, and probably continue to monitor the site after conjunction to study how frost covers the area. Next spring, MRO will be listening to see if Phoenix wakes up and calls home, but the odds of that are exceedingly slim, despite its epithet (see this blog entry for more about why this is most likely the real end of the mission).
I didn’t think I’d be so sad! It has been an exciting and successful mission, and I’m glad I could be involved in a small part of it. RIP, Phoenix! …or, rather, one of the better-written epitaphs submitted in Wired’s contest to eulogize the mission. There are some great ones in that list – some clever, some heartwarming, and some just funny. Personally, I like Phoenix’s last tweet best:
01010100 01110010 01101001 01110101 01101101 01110000 01101000 <3
(Unless you’re also a machine, you’ll probably need a binary converter like this one to get the message.)
November 14th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I am very sorry to see Phoenix go, but not disappointed, as the mission was an enormous success & lasted far longer than designed for.
Yes indeed R.I.P Phoenix.
I hope now that the MRO HiRISE team will image the Phoenix site regularly now, to see how ice encases Phoenix, covers the parachute & heatshield before it does get dark for 61 sols from Monday 6th April 2009 to Tuesday 7th July 2009. Also regularly afterwards as daylight returns & after the Spring / Vernal Equinox in late October 2009. Phoenix is expected to be encased till well into November 2009, though of course, we really do not know.
In the most likely scenario of Phoenix NOT waking up in the Spring, HiRISE could image Phoenix on the surface, seeing if the arrays are still attached, if Phoenix has moved or twisted, if the parachute has torn or crumpled, etc.
Once again: R.I.P Phoenix, you did us all very proud indeed & it was a priviledge to assist in the campaign to overturn your cancellation after Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander was cancelled & to follow every thing (preparation, Launch, EDL & the surface mission since.
Andrew Brown 3488.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Hi Andrew,
Yes, we plan on continuing to image the site to monitor the seasonal changes. We will be interrupted for a few weeks during conjunction, though, when Mars is behind the sun and we won’t be imaging.
I’m sure everyone will want to check on Phoenix in the spring, too – not just taking an image to see what the harsh winter did to it, but also listening closely for any unlikely peep from the surface.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Thank you very much Kite.
Of course solar conjunction coming up. A break in communication for about 14 days if I remember correctly in the first half of December.
Also it will be the Martian Northern Autumn / Southern Spring Equinox on Boxing Day.
I doubt very much that phoenix will ever be heard from again. Circuitry, will likely crack, soldering shrink & crack, batteries unusable due to being immersed in cryonic temperatures, when Phoenix becomes immersed in CO2 ice, solar arrays could snap off, Phoenix herself could buckle, etc. But let’s hope beyond hope, that the Lazarus program does wake Phoenix up in the Spring.
I really hope Phoenix will awaken, but I think the reality of the situation is that it will not happen. After all, the first successful mission in the Martian Arctic, or for that matter, the first successful mission to either polar region on Mars.
Also on a slightly different but related topic, was there ever any progress / identification on the search for Mars Polar Lander, or is MPL still missing.
Andrew Brown 3488.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:31 am
“Johnny five is not so much alive” (ha hahehe) Anyways, I think we can at least look forward to the next generation of mars rover/s that will be designed and equipped to cope with the Martian terrain. Given the cost consideration for these projects having a rover that could possibly repair itself and host several years of spare parts and other supplies would be a wise long term goal. Such machines could group together and drill, rover or even ‘fly’ using a mini blimp with an electric power plant. This unique group of ‘Martian bots’ could find one of their failing buddies and repair or recycle its parts for the survival of the collective. Such a mission with such versatile machines could possibly last for more than a couple decades and keep NASA’s active scientific presence on the planet. A lot of science could be performed and with only a few launches a decade needed.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:03 am
Yes, we plan on continuing to image the site to monitor the seasonal changes.