images

Phoenix Mars Lander- Artwork

by

Nasa/JPL/Novapix

Reference

e-son27-62502

Date

2007-10-08

In this artist's concept illustration, NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander begins to shut down operations as winter sets in. The far-northern latitudes on Mars experience no sunight during winter. This will mark the end of the mission because the solar panels can no longer charge the batteries on the lander. Frost covering the region as the atmosphere cools will bury the lander in ice.