The Little Lander That Could…
Everyone is mourning the loss of the Phoenix lander due to the harsh Martian winter, however I’m quite impressed with how this mission lasted much longer than anyone could have predicted:
Probe ends historic Mars mission
“NASA says its Phoenix lander on the surface of Mars has gone silent and is almost certainly dead. Engineers have not heard from the craft since Sunday 2 November when it made a brief communication with Earth. Phoenix, which landed on the planet’s northern plains in May, had been struggling in the increasing cold and dark of an advancing winter.”
My fanboy hope is that one day the work of this lander will lead to a live expedition to the red planet…