You landed somewhere red,

And now you're fucking dead.

That was very sad and touching.

Surely, someone out there can write some really haunting and sad "tear-jerker" music to go with those words, something powerful enough to reduce every geek on the planet, from here to Timbuktoo to floods of tears. Go on, you know you want to.

BTW, never say die, the Phoenix might live up to its name, confound us all and come back to life when the Sun returns. The tune of the moment will then be "Here comes the Sun....."

Till then,

Adios Phoenix Mars Lander!

Data Odyssey

Stop trying to get me all sentimental about a broken piece of machinery.

It's not like they sent Johnny 5 up there to do their work for them!

<Remembers Short Circuit> *sniffle*

You bastards, now I'm all misty eyed!

kinda sweet

Pity the marsians did not share their water with it.

You wot?

(Reaches for shovel)

As we leave our world behind,

We will be in your shoes,

Maybe, if you don't mind,

our children will touch and wonder at you.

ttfn

Martian: 'Ello NASA, I wish to make a complaint about this lander I purchased only a few months ago.

NASA: Oh yes, the, uh, the Phoenix...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Martian: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

NASA: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Martian: Look, matey, I know a dead lander when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

NASA: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable lander, the Phoenix, idn'it, ay? Beautiful payloads!

Martian: The payload don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

NASA: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Martian: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up!

Martian: 'Ello, Mister Phoenix lander! I've got a lovely fresh lifeform for you...

and so on and so forth!!

Mine's the one thats looks like a straight jacket...

I loved Phoenix's tweets and managed to get all sentimental about a chunk of metal on a distant rock. Whoever was responsible for writing them deserves a promotion!

Phoenix, you will be missed, let's hope you can boot up again when the summer comes around somewhere in Sol 2010.

We liked the science while you lasted.

Then you failed, you useless bastard.

Does no one remember vger? You mark my words we'll be seeing a revamped fully weaponed phoenix lander courtesy of it's martian overlords any time now.

"Counterpoint the surrealism of the underlying metaphor"? Death's too good for you!