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 Latest News : Top Story Science and Technology |
No more calls home from Mars robot lander Nasa has not heard from its Mars robot lander for more than five days, marking what is expected to be the end of its mission. The coming of the Mars autumn has provided Phoenix, the lander, with much less sunlight as a result of shorter days and murkier skies. These cooler conditions do not allow the robot's solar panels to receive sufficient solar rays to charge its batteries. The Nasa team will continue to check in on Phoenix over the next couple weeks, though it is not likely the robot will be able to charge its battery adequately enough to operate its instruments. Launched on August 4th 2007 and landing on Mars on May 25th 2008, Phoenix was expected to only operate for three months, a term it almost doubled. "Phoenix not only met the tremendous challenge of landing safely, it accomplished scientific investigations on 149 of its 152 Martian days as a result of dedicated work by a talented team," Phoenix project manager Barry Goldstein of Nasa said. For nearly six months the robot studied soil samples on the red planet. Though Phoenix's data has only reached the very early stages of analysis, researchers are hopeful of finding many 'gems' within the robot's collection. It is predicted the information it collected will make clearer whether or not Mars' environment has ever been suitable for microbes. The data should also further understanding about the water supply on Mars – discovered in 2002 – and how it came to be. Phoenix confirmed the existence of water-ice on the planet's crust, and discovered various types of salts in the soil. "Phoenix provided an important step to spur the hope that we can show Mars was once habitable and possibly supported life," according to Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Programme at Nasa's headquarters in Washington,. The up-and-coming Mars Science Laboratory will continue Phoenix's success in progressing Nasa's Mars programme.  11 November 2008, 11:48 |
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