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NASA has made a last attempt to find a probe "Phoenix".. / May 18, 2010 /

On Monday, May 17 The U.S. space agency (NASA) started the latest series of events to seek probe «Phoenix», sitting at the north pole of Mars in May 2008. This is reported on the portal Mars Daily. With the orbiter Mars Odyssey specialists will «catch» sent «Phoenix» radio signals.

The probe is programmed in such a way that it will attempt to communicate with radio transmitters available to him in the event that solar cells get enough energy to keep the machine working. Mars Odyssey is one of these transmitters.

The search will last from 17 to 21 May, and during this time, Mars Odyssey flies over the place, where the probe, 61 times. This is not the first attempt to find a NASA probe — the previous three phases were carried out searches in January, February and March 2010, and have not yielded results. A total of Mars Odyssey about 150 times flying over the site of the Phoenix.

Employed at NASA specialists emphasize that chances of finding the probe is very small — the device was not designed to survive in the Martian winter. Phoenix is powered by solar panels, and in autumn and winter them get enough light. Now on Mars, spring, and scientists do not exclude that if the probe is moved the Martian winter, he may be able to transmit signals to Earth.

The probe worked on Mars for five months — two months longer than originally planned. One of the major discovery made by the «Phoenix», was the allocation of water from the Martian soil. The unit stopped working early in the Martian autumn — the last time he goes online November 2, 2008.

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