Starting on January 18, the Mars Odyssey orbiter will pass over the frozen carcass of the Phoenix lander and take a listen for any signals from the spacecraft. There is a slight chance that the lander could come to life again since the sun is getting higher in the sky and there could be a remote chance that the solar panels could produce enough power to wake it up and send a signal out. The orbiter would pass over the site about 10 times a day and if there is anything to hear, it might pick it up.
The lander froze to death (and didn't have enough power from the sun) back in November 2008 when we last heard from it. What
will it say when it wakes up?
Nothing is expected, but with the toughness of our recent Mars spacecraft, who knows what will happen!?
Lander seen on January 6th
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