Mars Phoenix lander goes silent, NASA ends mission

The inevitable has happened. Our friend, the loved and loving Mars Phoenix lander has gone quietly into that long, good night once and for all. Even though we joyfully joined the lander on its adventures as it Tweeted from beyond the stratosphere, and thrilled at its explorations, pitfalls, and pratfalls, try not to feel the familiar sting of humanity at the thought of our little robotic buddy facing that call to interminable sleep we all must answer one day. Let's rest easy knowing that the NASA-spawned craft served dutifully and fearlessly right up to the end, when it was overpowered by a horde of space zombies and turned into an undead killing machine. We'll miss you, pal.

[Paul @ Nov 10th 2008 8:07PM]

Steve-boy must of been exercising his "kill" button...

[dcoaster @ Nov 10th 2008 8:09PM]

lol. too funny.

[blore40 @ Nov 11th 2008 12:11PM]

Please cease and desist use of the word "killbutton". It is a trademark of Apple Computers Inc.

-The legal team at Apple.

[Gene @ Nov 10th 2008 8:09PM]

I'd just like to say, NASA, you are awesome. Great job, and here's hoping you get more funding to do even more great projects!

[lowdef @ Nov 10th 2008 8:19PM]

YAYYYYY BILLIONS IN THE SHITTER. OH WELL... we have learned so much...


///not

[peshue @ Nov 10th 2008 8:35PM]

Yeah, nothing good comes out of NASA ::groan::

[Gene @ Nov 10th 2008 8:42PM]

Do you really believe that, lowdef?

http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2008/10/how_we_have_benefited_from_nas.html

A little insight into the U.S. federal government budget allocation this year:

http://foofus.com/amuse/public/Fedspending-2008-linechart.jpg

NASA isn't a waste of money.

You are a waste of oxygen.

[chris @ Nov 10th 2008 8:56PM]

"BILLIONS IN THE SHITTER."

Says the man driving the pea green 1975 Pinto with a ripped white vinyl top.

Good thing NOBODY listens to you!

[lowdef @ Nov 10th 2008 9:48PM]

yep you guys got me i drive a pinto obviously and im obviously over 40 or something and obviously live under a rock. seriously though what have we learned about mars that affects us on a daily basis?

[Stellar Developer @ Nov 10th 2008 9:57PM]

Lets just say I feel allot better spending billions on space exploration and science development than I do when the govt waste on sh*t like the bailout bill or global medicare.

[lowdef @ Nov 10th 2008 9:59PM]

i agree with you on the bailout but what exactly is global medicare?

im not mad about spending money on developing all the crap in that link but what have we learned from mars landings?

[xtole @ Nov 11th 2008 9:16AM]

Its grown up stuff, you wouldn't understand lowdef.... Hey is that the ice cream man I hear?

[Flashpoint @ Nov 10th 2008 8:09PM]

It was a McCain supporter and it took some time for it to get the election results.

[Seth @ Nov 10th 2008 8:09PM]

I found out today through it's Twitter page. **sniff** I'll miss that bugger and it's updates. **sniff**

[ssoltero @ Nov 10th 2008 8:12PM]

I don't think that little bot is actually silent. I think he finally transcended his programing and became "A.I.". In just a few short months, that little critter will end up colonizing Mars in ways NASA never thought possible. Then it's only a matter of a few years before we are invaded by a Martian race of Killer Robots.

We will never escape the fact that humanity will one day be the source of it's own demise.

[KAIKAI @ Nov 10th 2008 8:49PM]

*cough* cold war *cough*
.....literately of figuratively ??

[Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 8:12PM]

Damn that article plus the picture is sooo moving. Yeah for NASA (the non-douchebag NASA).

[Esat Dedezade @ Nov 10th 2008 8:17PM]

At first glance I thought the protagonist of Gears had landed on Mars.

I need to stop playing the 360 for a while...

[DBrim @ Nov 10th 2008 8:17PM]

Goodnight, sweet prince-bot.

(somebody had to say it)

[iEye @ Nov 10th 2008 8:21PM]

Oh please....

Fry: Bender! What was it like lying in that hole for a thousand years?

Bender: I was enjoying it until you guys showed up!

[ntlam @ Nov 11th 2008 1:27AM]

oh iEye,

I thought you would only comment on those iX article?

[HOOPER @ Nov 10th 2008 8:54PM]

do not go gently into that good night

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 10th 2008 8:23PM]

I guess littering on Earth just wasn't good enough.

[a ham sandwich @ Nov 10th 2008 8:35PM]

good work phoenix! we'll miss you!

[Johan S @ Nov 10th 2008 8:41PM]

Eh, his name is phoenix .. he may still come back.

[Alex @ Nov 10th 2008 8:45PM]

Space zombies? Where?!

LOL But seriously that sucks that NASA lost communications with Phoenix. It will truly have it's mark in history forever though. At least the future is bright as many people are on to bigger and better robots for exploring the Martian landscape.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Nov 10th 2008 8:45PM]

See you in about 30 years?

[sip @ Nov 10th 2008 9:01PM]

Just about one and a half, actually... if it can power back up, that is.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Nov 11th 2008 3:54PM]

Ok, so I'm landing on Mars in 2010 now; great! I'd better hurry the preparations.

[McLovin @ Nov 10th 2008 8:47PM]

Where have we seen this.. failed martian space craft on mars stops working...omg! megatron is coming!

[chris @ Nov 10th 2008 9:05PM]

Maybe one of the rovers can just drive over and give it a jump start.

[Ladderless @ Nov 10th 2008 9:05PM]

RIP, our fun loving space Roomba

[Trails @ Nov 10th 2008 9:17PM]

Drinking time in Tucson as we hold mourning for the Phoenix... roommate controlled the cameras, now he just cries.... :)

[Stem $ell @ Nov 10th 2008 9:25PM]

Fear not! Spirit and Opportunity, battered but not defeated, are racing to the rescue; unrelentingly determined to serve as thermal succubii to their frigid Martian arctic overlord, their code-mandated sacrifices may yet provide Phoenix a Quantum of Solstice and through their mach-nificent deaths, a slim chance for rebirth...

[Stem Sell @ Nov 10th 2008 9:40PM]

PS: This Eulogy sponsored by Circuit City...

[Andy @ Nov 10th 2008 9:29PM]

@gene - Just because the DOD wastes a bazillion times more than NASA doesn't mean $17 billion isn't a waste of money.

After all, that 17 Billion/year got us Nike Airs and battery-powered heated gloves.

How about a better comparison:

For $17 Billion annually, Compassion International could provide food, education, and medical care to 44,270,824 impoverished children.

But you're right, Memory Foam mattresses and scratch-resistant Ray-Bans are way more important than that.

[seb @ Nov 10th 2008 9:47PM]

Why don't you give up your internet access and use the money you'd save throughout the year to buy 48 of those children a nice hot meal.

[toysandme @ Nov 10th 2008 10:09PM]

Andy:
Totally asinine logic. The abolition of superstition (mostly "religion") would do more to reduce the number of impoverished children than the amount of money given to NASA. Vaccines and other meds do come from research. Science has produced many thousands of discoveries helping everyone on the planet from rich to poor every day of the week. OTOH, if you wish to pick on money thrown out of the window, I suggest you look at the cost of needless wars.

[bill cant fart @ Nov 10th 2008 10:24PM]

@seb
Because his parents are paying for his internet access. That's why.

[Iceman @ Nov 10th 2008 9:37PM]

Can't wait for future missions to Mars and that one to Mercury sounds cool.

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Nov 10th 2008 9:43PM]

Congrats to Europe and NASA for a successful mission that went beyond expectations and the really small chance he may comeback. Like I said to the gizmodos if Russia is nice one day they can come and play too. But thats probably not going to happen is it.

[austin @ Nov 10th 2008 9:59PM]

you talk to gizmodos?

HE'S CONTAMINATED. GET HIM OUT!

[jaywontdart @ Nov 10th 2008 9:47PM]

one day when we can fly through space, things like these robots will be collected and put into storage/museums. It will be like "look Jimmy, ancient humans made these crude tools for space exploration! look at how primitive this "ti-tan-i-yum" is!".

I guess it will be a sort of race, USA will go grab the bits left from the moon landings, China will nick the Voyager probe etc etc

Remember, its not going to go anywhere, It really will be picked up, some day :)

[Alex @ Nov 10th 2008 10:35PM]

Dang! That didn't last very long... it only touched down in what.. May of this year?

They just don't make robotic interplanetary vehicles like they used to these days...

Sux.

[Xee @ Nov 11th 2008 12:38AM]

Actually, it was a suicide mission from the start. They didn't expect it to survive the Martian winter and it actually lasted two months longer than originally planned. Pretty good if you ask me.

[marsmark @ Nov 11th 2008 12:42AM]

@Alex:
If you'd been paying attention, you'd know there was no way it would have survived much longer anyway - there's barely any sunlight left to generate power. That's just what happens when you land in the polar regions - little or no sunlight for half the year... Not much you can do about that without a nuke... and you aint getting one of those for the price we did this mission for.

[Nadool @ Nov 11th 2008 11:58AM]

This was just a test to see how much of that eGarbage we dumped on China could fit on Mars.

[idiot @ Nov 10th 2008 10:56PM]

noooooOOOOOOOooooooooo!!!!

[TeddyLikesComputahs! @ Nov 10th 2008 11:43PM]

they shoulsa sen Wall-E instead, or bettery yet, EVE!!!

[Ivan @ Nov 11th 2008 12:00AM]

Decades later, a group of technologically advanced sentient beings invade earth looking for P'nix's creator...