Comments on: Mission's End Approaching for Phoenix Lander

By: paul

paul — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:12:58 +0000

what is really expected to kill phoenix is called "glassification"

You ever seen the demonstration where a rubber racquet ball is dropped in liquid nitrogen and then dropped? [it shatters] The ball becomes very brittle. This is what's expected to happen to Phoenix's circuit boards.

If it DOES wake up and send a signal, Phoenix may be heavily damaged. Probably beyond usefulness.

By: Phoenix Guru

Phoenix Guru — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:01:53 +0000

Sili,

You are close. The cold temperatures are what is going to 'kill' Phoenix, but it's not a structural problem; it won't be in pieces come spring. The problem is the batteries will not survive being that cold.

By: DrNecropolis

DrNecropolis — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:42:25 +0000

Spirit and Opportunity both certainly lived upto their namesakes. Hopefully Phoenix will too…but not literally because if Phoenix bursts into flame then returns to earth on its own come spring we've got problems

By: Sili

Sili — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:04:35 +0000

As I understand it, poor Phoenix is so much further North that she'll be entirely encased in ice come Winter. And the temperatures will drop low enough to make her components brittle. So as the ice expands and contracts she'll most likely be broken into bits and pieces.

I want her survive too, but she's as exposed as a surfer in the Antarctic.

By: Some Guy

Some Guy — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:08:27 +0000

phoenix has already exceeded her design expectations, why should the surprises stop?

By: Frank Glover

Frank Glover — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:10:56 +0000

"I was thinking the same thing Nexus. Why wouldn't shutting it down for the Martian winter work?"

Would the engine in your car still turn over if you never ran it all winter, and kept it out in deep cold, unattended?

Still, I have absolutely no objection to trying to get an occasional response from it, throuought the Martian winter. It would not be the first time that one of our probes suprised us by far exceeeding its design expectations…

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:50:12 +0000

I wonder if we'll see images of the ice field approaching from the horizon? Or maybe Phoenix dies from the toes up as frost forms on the ground around it and gets thicker?

It's been a great mission though! Hopefully we'll see more surpizes before it's death.

By: Feenixx

Feenixx — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:59:38 +0000

@giovanni
Digging takes a lot more power than doing chemistry experiments – so, Phoenix digs like a maniac while there is enough power to use the arm. Then when it gets too dark and cold to produce enough electricity for digging, it'll analyse the samples… and tell us about the results.

By: giovanni

giovanni — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:22:39 +0000

for many sols now we are told that phonix digs hard and fast and delivers samples to its oven for testing good on you phoenix but mans results from the testings are not forth coming whay not?

By: Some Guy

Some Guy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:30:53 +0000

Forgot to mention, they had, what, a three month life-expectancy for the Mars Exploration Rovers? Now they're in their fifth year of work. Who knows how long Phoenix will be functioning? Long live Phoenix!!!

By: Some Guy

Some Guy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:27:59 +0000

I think that it'll definitely be able to power up come spring on Mars, so long as it is able to survive the icing, and I don't really think we should consider it to be dying, just going into hibernation for the winter…

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:01:12 +0000

I was thinking the same thing Nexus. Why wouldn't shutting it down for the Martian winter work?

Ah well, is what it is. Really sad to think that it's "dying."

By: Nexus

Nexus — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:00:28 +0000

Good night, Phoenix. I hope you wake up again in the spring, but I hear that's unlikely.