Posted: Fri, Jan 22, 2010, 7:54 AM ET (1254 GMT)
An initial long-short effort to restore communications with NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander failed to make contact with the lander, NASA announced Thursday. The Mars Odyssey orbiter, acting as a communications relay, listed for any signals from Phoenix during 30 overflights of landing site between Monday and Thursday, but failed to detect anything. The lander has been silent since November 2008 and NASA considers it highly unlikely that the lander survived the harsh winter conditions at its landing site. However, NASA plans to perform additional listening campaigns in February and March, when the site will receive more sunlight.

Related Links:

•  AP article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASA/JPL press release