That would have been amazing. I checked, though, and MGS was last heard from on November 5, 2006. Barry Goldstein first said that Phoenix was last heard from on November 5, but he also said it was last heard from on Sunday, which was November 2. A question from the press made him clarify and he said yes, he meant Sunday, November 2.

Still, the anniversary is awfully close.

--Emily

It's a sad/happy day. It helps a little that we all knew it was coming, and we all knew it was going to happen right around this time.

Many, many amazing memories for me from Phoenix.

Satisfaction that this type of lander finally made it, nearly a decade after MPL really tearing my heart out.

Intense emotions during EDL. I *really* wanted this one to get through.

Fascination at what small-scale polygonal crust looks like from the surface, and in general fascination over what yet another distinct part of Mars looks like.

Pure delight at the OM and AFM images.

Extreme frustration over the inability of TEGA to get an ice sample. When the mission started, we had Jim Garvin on TV stating in awed, hushed tones, "not only do we think we're we going to find water ice, we're going to reach out and taste it! Can you imagine what we can learn from that???" And yet -- not a single taste of the water. Extreme frustration...

All in all, far more wonder than frustration... but t'would have been even more wonderful had we actually managed to taste the ice.

-the other Doug

It has been a rather short but intense mission indeed. Feels like we've heard "Phoenix ... Phoenix has landed. Welcome to the Northern plains of Mars". Made a lot of friends thanks to Phoenix!

Extended mission, and it still seems all too short ... goodbye Phoenix...

From the HiRISE blog:

"The last image we took of the lander shows it sitting pretty, just as it has been since May 25th. We’ll take another picture this week, and probably continue to monitor the site after conjunction to study how frost covers the area."

We haven't seen the last of Phoenix.

Great post other-Doug, I second those emotions.

At least it died in the way it was intended to die. It was good while it lasted. Now, let's wait for all the exciting papers that will be coming out.

Although today has been a somber day for me as well, it has been a wonderful priviledge to work with the EDL and Science Teams for the past 2-3 years. I have learned a great deal from this experience. Thank you all for this opportunity!

- Manish Mehta

R.I.P. Phoenix

When someone writes a post that ends with "But that's probably not a subject for this forum"....they're usually right.

Two posts deleted.

Phoenix .. We love you and shall miss you deeply

You have provided a thrilling science ride from beginning to end ...

discovering ice sheets beneath and swirling ice clouds above.

RIP

ken

Great shared souvenirs from landing with you all.
Waiting for papers realease
Waiting to see her from HiRise.
Altogether, it's a

Although very, very slim, the possibility is not zero that Phoenix may awaken a bit more than a year from now, depending on the extent of damage due to ice accumulation on the solar panels and the extreme cold on the circuitry.

I will never, ever forget this image. It made me proud to be a part of the same species as the guys who pulled this off. What a triumph of human achievement.

Thank you, Dan. That summed up *perfectly* a lot of what I've been feeling about this mission. I know I still get goosebumps thinking about that image.

-the other Doug

Celebrating a job well done, not mourning a lander lost...

Farewell Phoenix...

well the UA clock is still running

Good to know, but if you listen carefully I think you can hear not just the fading echoes of the fat lady's song, but the stage lights being turned off, the seats being flipped back up and the doors locked too...

As well as the memories I still have the chat logs, and the champagne cork The sense of a community coming together with the mission team, Doug's webcast with Sir Patrick Moore, Emily's live u-streams, Peter Smith and Barry Goldstein's expressions... an absolutely magical night.

Thanks for clarifying that Emily.

Quite appropriate, and there's even a nod to TEGA in the lyrics:

"Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew."

Doing science for 149 out of 152 Sols is an impressive record to be sure. Phoenix will be in my thoughts, although being someone who doesn't tolerate cold very well, the encasement in ice is not something I want to dwell on too much.

Thanks to all of the brilliant minds on this blog who have been so supportive of the entire mission.
This was the one place to go to get intelligent discussion, not a place where people pi$$ed and moaned about the information coming out of the mission.
You were read regularly and frequently by the team.
It was a great ride. I'll never have a better job than the one I had on Phoenix.
Adios, space friends!

Thanks Cony, I think I can speak for a lot of people here when I say that means a lot to us...

But hey, we're not done with Phoenix yet! We'll all be here picking through and discussing the science results as they're released, and no doubt producing and creating new and beautiful images as we patiently go through the old raws again, looking for stuff we missed the first time.

So don't go away, ok?

And to any of the Phoenix team who have read or are reading this, two words:

THANK YOU!

The fun starts in a months time when the data hits the PDS

Between now and then, we have the wrap party

Doug

Sad but inevitable. Oh well. Phoenix had a better innings than MPF, and now she's part of Mars history.

Better? Not so. Sojourner had a 7 day primary mission, and the lander had a 30 day primary mission. Also, Pathfinder was an engineering mission not a science mission, yet it ended up doing good science. Phoenix and Pathfinder were both great successes, but your comparison is not valid.

Goodbye Phoenix! However we'll keep an eye on you from orbit.
I'm waiting for the snow-covered image of Phoenix from MRO in the coming months.
And perhaps, as winter comes and goes, will our bird rise again?

All good things must come to an end!

My personal take: -

- A great acheivement, not least in the high standards set for openness and inclusivity. All part of the evolution of modern science. Thanks Phoenix team, how amazing it has been to follow this adventure.
- Heimdal Crater shot. Inspiring and gives a great sense of perspective on things.
- Scudding clouds and 'varga' snow. (My personal favourite - just so evocative).
- Ok, so TEGA didn't work perfectly.... but such stimulating discoveries!

Future.... data analysis: -

- I'm dying to find out more about perchlorates/carbonates and the gound-atmosphere interaction.

Regret: -

- Didn't see CO2 snow!! Perhaps a couple of clear days and..............

What're you saying??

Phoenix! Go towards the light! You need it for your solar panels!



But that sure was a tense EDL. I was also listening to the live NASA feed; it was so awesome hearing the altitude countdown after it separated from the heatshield and was falling on its own, to hear the increments between announcements decreasing, indicating that it was slowing down properly. Such a perfect descent.

Let me be the first to say that I am eagerly awaiting the scientific results from Phoenix before forming a view about the success of Phoenix.

But in the meantime…. I am a chemical engineer (process technology) from origine and I would like to get it off my chest that if the Phoenix Mission expected to stuff a soil/ice type of sample through a narrow TEGA opening further constrained by a fine mesh, then from a simple engineering perspective that was simply completely wrong, well outside the ballpark compared to the principles applied in (process-) engineering practices. I think we should not "gift-wrap" this message somewhere in a larger evaluation, but try to examine it separately for learning & ongoing improvements.

On the one hand I feel better for having gone on record with this, but overall I have a huge admiration for the team who developed the Phoenix idea and took it all the way to Mars. This is the stuff that space exploration is made off!

If I may use the analogy of the oil drilling engineers (Clint Eastwood and others) coming to the assistance of a space mission in the cinema, then perhaps it is time to expand the space exploration effort and include more “ordinary” engineering inputs from outside the space centres, as missions get their hands dirty on the surface of asteroids, moons and planets...

Nice video tribute here...

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=788

Oh thats nice.

My take on the last colour scene imaged by Phoenix on Sol 151...

http://phoenixpics.wordpress.com/2008/11/1...s-last-postcard

I make this the last RAC image 16:05 on Sol 149
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/..._20870MDM1.html

This is the last MI image at 14:26 on Sol 149
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/..._207A0MGM1.html

This the last SSI image that wasn't a solar observation on sol 151 at 5:31 am
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/..._20900R6M1.html

And your colour image was about 15 minutes before that - 5:17 am,

I recall that when Phoenix tried to get some samples and had the dirt sprayed the DVD, somebody hilariously commented "We're on Mars and now Mars's on us"
Oh I laughed out loud at that time

Also the short movie of the wind indicator moving is simply amazing, many people were surprised since they thought Mars is also an inactive world like the Moon.

Th...there...there seems to be something in my eye.

Andy, in need of a stiffer upper lip.

While frustrating, so much was and will be learned about working with that incalcitrant soil-- can only be excited about the advances that will be made from that! What techniques will be developed on earth to simulate the properties of it? What a boon to testing new lander systems.

Hum, notice the last pictures of Oppy, especially the file name. i.e :
1N279734819EFF93RIP1994L0M1.JPG

A hide message of Oppy for Phoenix?

Site 93, Drive RI, Sequence P1994

Doug

Yes Doug, I know that. But I found the coincidence amusing .

Mars Pathfinder lived from July 4, 1997 to October 7, 1997 (95 days / 93 sols). The Sojourner rover may actually have stayed active a bit longer in survival mode.

Phoenix lasted from May 25, 2008 to November 2, 2008 (161 days / 157 sols). I think that Phoenix was a very respectable mission. Now if we only had an astronaut available to scrape the ice out of the scoop...

Rob

(`-) *hem, hem*. What a great excuse for a swift perspective and slimline-tonic with-ice-but-no-lemon. Thanks!

I would add that comparing the life of Phoenix to the other Martian landers isn't really fair. Being solar powered in the polar region, it had more working against it than the failure of critical components (which never happened) and accumulation of dust on its solar panels.

Ain't got the words to describe my feelings watching that video...when the HiRISE image appeared it was time for a tremendous shower over the laptop...damn...why do this things have to be so freaking beautifully dramatic?...I'll miss you Phoenix...

You meant tears, right?

Well... R.I.P Phoenix - that was short but beautiful story...

But I would like see HiRiSe photos at the Phoenix when there is middle winter in the Mars. Interesting to see that will it be covered by the snow and Ice?

You mean...when it's...dark?

Good luck with imaging

Themis IR imaging

Good luck with themis to .

I know MOC took some images using the twilight from sunlight hitting the upper atmosphere during the winter. However, these images were heavily binned. I am not sure if HIRISE could pull this off with a signal to noise ratio good enough to detect Phoenix.