Phoenix Lander Mission

It was always a long shot that the NASA Mars Phoenix Lander would survive the harsh Martian winter. Recent images sent back by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate ice has damaged the lander's solar panels making it no longer possible to power the adventurer.

Fuk Li, manager of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported, "The Phoenix spacecraft succeeded in its investigations and exceeded its planned lifetime. Although its work is finished, analysis of information from Phoenix's science activities will continue for some time to come."