NASA's Mars mission gets another two months

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NASA officials this week gave the Phoenix Mars lander another two months to live, buying scientists even more time to conduct the final experiments on the red planet's arctic surface.The lander touched down in late May, with officials originally planning for the mission to last 90 days. But they also said Phoenix had the potential to keep working well into the fall.In August, NASA gave Phoenix an extra month to finish several experiments, drawing on previously earmarked funds to continue operations. The latest announcement extends that plan.Given the extra time, it appears that the mission will continue until there either isn't enough solar power to keep the lander alive or wind storms and dry ice cause it severe damage, said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.With the changing seasons on Mars come less daylight and more clouds, making it harder for Phoenix to generate the power necessary to keep working."As it's getting colder, we have to put more energy into the vehicle to keep it alive," Goldstein said.Computer models show that Phoenix potentially could run out of power by the end of November, though that may be a moot point when communications with the lander are interrupted in mid-November.By then, Earth's and Mars' orbits around the center of the solar system will place them on opposite sides of the sun, cutting off radio transmissions to Phoenix, said Peter Smith, the University of Arizona's chief scientist for the mission.With the time crunch looming, scientists are trying to conduct all of the remaining experiments and get the most research out of the mission that they can, Goldstein said."From a mission-success standpoint, we have met all of our criteria," he said. "But we still have resources on board, and it would be a shame to not use them all."(E-mail Aaron Mackey at amackey(at)azstarnet.com)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)