NASA still trying to contact silent Mars probe but hopes fading

NASA is now holding a press conference on the Mars Global Surveyor -- also
has released a new set of great pictures including one showing small changes
in the polar ice cap region:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mgs/20061121.html

They still have tricks to try, and some spacecraft (like SOHO) do 'come back
to life', but they ARE saying the odds of getting it back are not looking
good. The problem seems associated with the same solar array panel that was
damaged on launch when the opening damper broke, and the hinge cracked. They
knew it was damaged from that point and had to fly a more gentle than
planned 'aerobraking' phase once they got to Mars. The same panel reported
it was not tracking well, the autopilot got it back under control for an
hour, but during the next night pass -- when it was commanded to rotate 200
degrees to face the rising sun -- the panel seems to have hard-jammed. But
'trouble-shooting' is continuing.