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NASA Loses Contact With Mars Lander and Ends Its Mission

Nov. 10, 2008
Mission managers said Monday that they had not heard from the Phoenix Mars lander for a week and that they thought it had probably fallen quiet for good.
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NASA: Phoenix Mars Lander is now silent

NASA: Phoenix Mars Lander is now silent

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it has, most likely -- after a month of fruitless attempts -- reached the end of communications with its Phoenix Mars Lander.
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander becomes silent

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander becomes silent

PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months -- two more than planned.

NASA: Phoenix weak and getting weaker

PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Mars Lander has communicated with controllers daily since Sunday, but it is becoming weaker.

Phoenix unexpectedly enters safe mode

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Mars Lander has entered safe mode in response to low power levels produced by deteriorating weather conditions.

Phoenix is incrementally powered down

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it hopes to extend its Phoenix Mars Lander's mission by gradually shutting down some of the spacecraft's instruments and heaters.
Phoenix ready to analyze Mars soil samples

Phoenix ready to analyze Mars soil samples

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Mars Lander has finished delivering soil samples to its onboard laboratories and is now ready to analyze them.
Mars lander fills yet another oven

Mars lander fills yet another oven

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Mars Phoenix Lander has delivered a "bonus round" to the mission's goal of analyzing soil in at least three of its ovens.
Phoenix survives a Martian dust storm

Phoenix survives a Martian dust storm

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. space agency scientists say the Phoenix Mars Lander survived a weekend dust storm that temporarily lowered its solar power.
Phoenix lander still operating on Mars

Phoenix lander still operating on Mars

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency's Phoenix Lander is investigating soil on Mars' northern plains for signs that water was once present.
Phoenix Lander sees snow falling on Mars

Phoenix Lander sees snow falling on Mars

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Mars Lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds, vaporizing before reaching the planet's surface.

Mars lander takes an image of Martian dust

PASADENA, Calif., Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Mars Lander has used an atomic force microscope to take the first-ever image of a single particle of Mars' dust.

Perchlorate salts: a major find on Mars

TUCSON, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. space agency scientists say the discovery of perchlorate salts on Mars makes them reassess how they think about possible Martian life.

Phoenix soil test confirms water on Mars

TUCSON, July 31 (UPI) -- Scientists confirmed Thursday that water, considered an essential building block of life, does indeed exist on the planet Mars.

Mineral nutrients found on Mars

MEDFORD, Mass., June 27 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists said soil on Mars appears to be alkaline enough to support plant life.
Phoenix Mars lander analyzes soil

Phoenix Mars lander analyzes soil

WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency's Phoenix Mars Lander has placed a sample of Martian soil into its wet chemistry laboratory for the first time.
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Lori Anne Madison, 6, competes in Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Lori Anne Madison, 6, of Woodbridge, Virginia, spells out the letters in her word as she competes during the opening round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, May 30, 2012, in National Harbor, Maryland. Madison, the youngest known qualifier in the history of the contest, correctly spelled the word "dirigible*", a lighter-than-air aircraft, to advance. UPI/Mike Theiler