NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is Nearing It's End

from Space.com

After more than four months on the arctic plains of the red planet, NASA's
Phoenix Mars Lander's days are finally numbered.As the sun begins to set for the
frigid Martian winter, the spacecraft will lose its energy supply, freeze and
eventually fall into a mechanical coma from which it will likely never wake
up.

After years and years of failed missions to Mars, and of catastrophic errors, it is sad to see one of the most successful robotic missions ever attempted by NASA come to a close. The Mars Landers have sent back invaluable information and images, and have far exceeded their original 3 month timetables. The Phoenix Mars Lander is in the northern "arctic" region of Mars and is rapidly losing power. It receives most of it's energy from solar cells and the long dark winter on Mars is about to begin.

Due to Mars' inclination, the northern and southern poles are either facing full time sunlight or facing away from the sun with constant darkness and bitter cold.
The Lander was provided with what scientists call a "Lazarus Mode," a re-boot program that may start the Lander and try to communicate with earth when, and if, the solar array manages to get new sunlight energy in a few months.

That would be fucking cool as shit if it were to successfully "hibernate" and then begin to send back data again after the Mars winter. -FUPPETS- wishes the Phoenix Mars Lander all the luck in the Solar System.