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Last Frame from Phoenix: End of Transmissions... - Sol 151 (possible True Colors; credits: Lunexit)
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November 10, 2008 -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than 5 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 3 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.
Nell'immagine: il cielo cupo e sempre più scuro che sovrasta Phoenix, come ripreso intorno alle ore 15:30, M.L.T. e colorizzato da Lunexit in possibli Colori Veri (e nel rispetto della Regola Aurea che vuole il Cielo prossimo all'Orizzonte Marziano più chiaro e poi sempre più scuro a mano a mano che si alza lo sguardo).
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