Mars Phoenix Lander from Orbit

[Eric Mc]

I thought these pictures were pretty interesting. They show the Mars Phoenix lander sitting on the surface at its location near the Martian Arctic Circle. What is revealing is that the two pictures seem to indicate why Phoenix stopped working. The picture on the left shows the lander as it was in 2008. The picture on the right shows it now. The difference is that the image on the right shows a smaller shadow and some change to the structure of the machine. NASA thinks that, during the long Martian winter (twice as long as ours), ice built up on one of the solar panels causing it to snap off.

[anonymous-user]

Or is it sinking in the evil Martian quick sand?

[knight]

Possibly been robbed for spares by martians

[Simpo Two]

knight said:

Possibly been robbed for spares by martians

Scouse Martians. It's on bricks now.

[El Diablo]

What's the scap metal price for one of those?

Theiving alien pikeys!!!!

[Eric Mc]

I'd hate to think of the travel costs involved in recovering it.

[jmorgan]

Thought it was in an area that could have iced over?

[Big Al.]

Story here

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100525/tsc-nasa-ends...

[Eric Mc]

jmorgan said:

Thought it was in an area that could have iced over?

I thought it was deliberately landed just south of the furthermost reach of the Northern Ice Cap.

[jmorgan]

I wasn't sure, I thought I read somewhere that it was possible it could have been engulfed. Have to find the article (might be in a mag). Not sure how the ice behaves as it sublimes away or forms in those temperatures.

But then I would have thought they would know the extent of the ice in the time between images?

[MartG]

El Diablo said:

What's the scap metal price for one of those?

Theiving alien pikeys!!!!

( OK, I know that's the Viking lander..,. )