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Phoenix is a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The scientists conducting the mission will use instruments aboard the Phoenix lander to search for environments suitable for microbial life on Mars, and to research the history of water there. The multi-agency program is headed by the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, under the direction of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The program is a partnership of universities in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, the Philippines, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and other aerospace companies.[1] The Phoenix In the science fiction series, Star Trek, the Phoenix was the first man-made spacecraft to travel beyond the speed of light. ...
Look up Phoenix in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
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ISS in earth orbit. ...
Image File history File links Shuttle. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 650 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (5200 × 4800 pixel, file size: 7. ...
For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ...
Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ...
Orbital decay is the process of prolonged reduction in the height of a satellite’s orbit due to drag produced by an atmosphere. ...
is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...
Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ...
is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...
The Delta II family of launch vehicles was designed and built by Boeings Integrated Defense Systems division and has been in service since 1989. ...
Various schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars. ...
The International Designator (or NSSDC ID) is an international naming convention for satellites. ...
An artists interpretation of the MESSENGER spacecraft at Mercury A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. ...
Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space, both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. ...
Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ...
The Mars Scout Program is a NASA program to send a series of small, low-cost missions to Mars, competitively selected from innovative proposals by the scientific community. ...
A lander is a type of spacecraft which descends to come to rest on the surface of an astronomical body. ...
A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is so small that it is microscopic (invisible to the naked eye). ...
For other uses, see Life on Mars (disambiguation). ...
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) is a research center for planetary science located in Tucson, Arizona. ...
The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...
For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ...
For the singer/songwriter, see Jon Peter Lewis. ...
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA or, in French, lAgence spatiale canadienne, ASC) is the Canadian government space agency responsible for Canadas space program. ...
Finnish Meteorological Institute (Ilmatieteen laitos) is a government agency, which is a central place responsible for gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Finland. ...
Lockheed Martin Space Systems is one of the 4 major business divisions of Lockheed Martin. ...
Phoenix is the sixth successful landing on Mars, out of twelve total international attempts (the sixth successful landing of seven American attempts). It is the third successful static lander and the first since Viking 2, and as of 2008 the most recent spacecraft to land successfully on Mars. Frost on Mars. ...
The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ...
History of the program  Artist's depiction of Phoenix using a robotic arm to dig down to the expected icy layer In August 2003 NASA selected the University of Arizona "Phoenix" mission for launch in 2007 as what was hoped would be the first in a new line of smaller, low-cost, Scout missions in the agency's exploration of Mars program.[2] The selection was the result of an intense two-year competition with proposals from other institutions. The $325 million NASA award is more than six times larger than any other single research grant in University of Arizona history. The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...
The Mars Scout Program is a new NASA program of small, low-cost missions to Mars, selected from innovative proposals by the scientific community. ...
Computer-generated image of one of the two Mars Exploration Rovers which touched down on Mars in 2004. ...
Peter H. Smith of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, as Principal Investigator, along with 24 Co-Investigators, were selected to lead the mission. The mission was named after the Phoenix, a mythological bird that is repeatedly reborn from its own ashes. The Phoenix spacecraft contains several previously built components. The lander used for the 2007-08 mission is the modified Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander (canceled in 2000), along with several of the instruments from both that and the previous unsuccessful Mars Polar Lander mission. Lockheed Martin had kept the nearly complete lander in environmentally controlled storage since 2001. For other mythic firebirds, see Fire bird (mythology). ...
Conceptual drawing Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander was a planned NASA Mars probe which was cancelled in May 2000 in the wake of the failures of the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander missions in late 1999. ...
Conceptual drawing of the Mars Polar Lander on the surface of Mars. ...
Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ...
 Phoenix during testing in September 2006 Phoenix is a partnership of universities, NASA centers, and the aerospace industry. The science instruments and operations will be a University of Arizona responsibility. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, will manage the project and provide mission design and control. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, Colorado, built and tested the spacecraft. The Canadian Space Agency will provide a meteorological station, including an innovative Laser-based atmospheric sensor. The co-investigator institutions include Malin Space Science Systems (California), Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (Germany), NASA Ames Research Center (California), NASA Johnson Space Center (Texas), De La Salle University (Philippines), Optech Incorporated, SETI Institute, Texas A&M University, Tufts University, University of Colorado, University of Copenhagen (Denmark), University of Michigan, University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), University of Texas at Dallas, University of Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, and York University (Canada). Scientists from Imperial College London and Bristol University have provided hardware for the mission and will be part of the team operating the microscope station.[3] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 531 pixels Full resolution (900 × 597 pixel, file size: 309 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phoenix (spacecraft) ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 531 pixels Full resolution (900 × 597 pixel, file size: 309 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phoenix (spacecraft) ...
The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...
For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ...
For the singer/songwriter, see Jon Peter Lewis. ...
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ...
Lockheed Martin Space Systems is one of the 4 major business divisions of Lockheed Martin. ...
Nickname: Location of Denver in the State of Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State State of Colorado City and County Denver[1] Founded 1858-11-22, as Denver City, K.T.[2] Incorporated 1861-11-07, as Denver City, C.T.[3] Consolidated...
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA or, in French, lAgence spatiale canadienne, ASC) is the Canadian government space agency responsible for Canadas space program. ...
A technician checks data from a weather station. ...
For other uses, see Laser (disambiguation). ...
Malin Space Science Systems is a San Diego, California company that designs, develops, and operates instruments to fly on unmanned spacecraft. ...
Max Planck Institute for Solarsystem Research April 2006 The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) is part of the Max Planck Society which operates 80 research facilities in Germany. ...
Aerial View of Moffett Field and NASA Ames Research Center. ...
An aerial view of the complete Johnson Space Center facility in Houston, Texas in 1989. ...
This article is about the De La Salle University System. ...
Optech Incorporated is a Canadian-owned for-profit company operating since 1974 and focusing on Laser-based survey systems. ...
The SETI Institute is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research, education and public outreach to explore, understand, and explain the nature and origin of the Universe. ...
Texas A&M University redirects here. ...
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts, suburbs of Boston. ...
The University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder, UCB officially[3]; Colorado and CU colloquially) is the flagship university of the University of Colorado System in Boulder, Colorado. ...
Main campus on Frue Plads. ...
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan. ...
The University of Neuchâtel is a university in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. ...
The University of Texas at Dallas, often called UT Dallas or UTD, is a doctoral/research university in the University of Texas System. ...
The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. ...
Washington University redirects here. ...
This article is about the Canadian university. ...
Affiliations Russell Group Association of MBAs IDEA League Association of Commonwealth Universities Golden Triangle Oak Ridge Associated Universities Nobel laureates 14 Website http://www. ...
The University of Bristol was founded in 1876 as the University College, Bristol. ...
On June 2, 2005, following a critical review of the project's planning progress and preliminary design, NASA approved the mission to proceed as planned.[4] The purpose of the review was to confirm NASA's confidence in the mission. Sojourner next to the rock Barnacle Bill The Sojourner rover was the first space exploration rover to successfully reach another planet. ...
2007 Mars Science Laboratory concept Schematic diagram of the planned rover components The Mars Science Laboratory (or MSL for short) is a NASA rover scheduled to launch in September 2009 and perform a precision landing on Mars in July-September 2010. ...
is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Mission overview The mission has two goals. One is to study the geologic history of water, the key to unlocking the story of past climate change. The second is to search for evidence of a habitable zone that may exist in the ice-soil boundary, the "biological paydirt." Phoenix's instruments are suitable for uncovering information on the geological and possibly biological history of the Martian Arctic. Phoenix will be the first mission to return data from either of the poles, and will contribute to NASA's main strategy for Mars exploration, "Follow the water." This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...
Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ...
It has been suggested that Goldilocks phenomenon be merged into this article or section. ...
The primary mission is anticipated to last 90 sols (Martian days) – just over 92 Earth days. Researchers are hoping that the lander will survive into the Martian winter so that it can witness polar ice developing at the spacecraft's exploration area. As much as three feet of solid carbon dioxide ice could appear in the area. Even if it does survive partway into the winter, it is very unlikely that the lander will function throughout the entire winter due to the intense cold.[5] The mission was chosen to be a fixed lander rather than a rover because:[6] Various schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars. ...
- costs were reduced through reuse of earlier equipment;
- the area of Mars where Phoenix is landing is thought to be relatively uniform and thus traveling is of less value; and
- the equipment weight that would be required to allow Phoenix to travel can instead be dedicated to more and better scientific instruments.
Launch
 Phoenix is launched atop a Delta II 7925 rocket Phoenix was launched on 4 August 2007, at 5:26:34 am EDT (09:26:34 UTC) on a Delta 7925 launch vehicle from Pad 17-A of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch was nominal with no significant anomalies. Mars Phoenix Lander was placed on a trajectory of such precision that its first trajectory course correction burn, performed on 10 August 2007 at 7:30 a.m. EDT (11:30 UTC), was only 18 m/s. The launch took place during a launch window extending from 3 August 2007 to 24 August 2007. Due to the small launch window the rescheduled launch of the Dawn mission (originally planned for 7 July) had to stand down and was launched after Phoenix in September. The Delta 7925 was chosen due to its successful launch history, which includes launches of the Spirit and Opportunity Mars Exploration Rovers in 2003 and Mars Pathfinder in 1996.[7] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 401 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2008 × 3000 pixel, file size: 319 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 401 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2008 × 3000 pixel, file size: 319 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
The Delta II family of launch vehicles was designed and built by Boeings Integrated Defense Systems division and has been in service since 1989. ...
Automobile exhaust Exhaust gas is flue gas which occurs as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel, fuel oil or coal. ...
is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...
Time Zone is also a historical computer game. ...
UTC redirects here. ...
The Delta II family of launch vehicles was designed and built by Boeings Integrated Defense Systems division and has been in service since 1989. ...
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17 is a launch site at Merritt Island, Florida. ...
The Bumper V-2 was the first missile launched at Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950. ...
Mathematically the term trajectory refers to the ordered set of states which are assumed by a dynamical system over time (see e. ...
is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...
Launch window is a term used in aerospace to describe a time period in which a particular rocket must be launched. ...
is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...
is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...
The Dawn Mission is a NASA mission that will send the Dawn spacecraft, a robotic space probe, to the asteroid belt. ...
is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Artists Concept of Rover on Mars (credit: Maas Digital LLC) Marvin the Martian, Spirit rover Mission patch Duck Dodgers, Opportunity rover Mission patch NASAs Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission is an ongoing robotic mission of exploring Mars, that began in 2003 with the sending of two rovers — Spirit...
The Mars Pathfinder was launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II just a month after the Mars Global Surveyor was launched. ...
A noctilucent cloud[8] was created by the exhaust gas from the Delta II 7925 rocket used to launch Phoenix. The cloud took on not only the appearance of the mythical phoenix bird, but also the red and blue colors of the Phoenix Mars Lander logo. The colors in the cloud formed from the prism like effect of the Ice Particles present in the exhaust trail from the Delta II 7925 rocket.[9]
Automobile exhaust Exhaust gas is flue gas which occurs as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel, fuel oil or coal. ...
The Delta II family of launch vehicles was designed and built by Boeings Integrated Defense Systems division and has been in service since 1989. ...
For other mythic firebirds, see Fire bird (mythology). ...
For other uses, see Red (disambiguation). ...
This article is about the colour. ...
The Delta II family of launch vehicles was designed and built by Boeings Integrated Defense Systems division and has been in service since 1989. ...
Landing  10-km-wide Heimdall Crater
Arrangements were made for three Mars orbiting satellites to be in the right place on May 25, 2008, to observe Phoenix as it entered the atmosphere and to monitor it up to one minute after landing. This information will allow for better design for future landers.[10] The projected landing area was an ellipse 100 km by 20 km covering terrain which has been informally named "Green Valley"[11] and contains the largest concentration of water ice outside of the poles. NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ...
Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has a very different atmosphere from that of Earth. ...
is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...
 A camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snaps Phoenix on the surface of Mars. A larger image showing Phoenix, its parachute with backshell and the heat shield may be viewed here. Phoenix entered the Martian atmosphere at nearly 21,000 km (13,000 miles) per hour, and within 7 minutes had to be able to decrease its speed to 8 km (5 miles) per hour before touching down on the surface. Confirmation of atmospheric entry was received at 4:46 p.m. PDT (23:46 UTC). Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. PDT confirmed that Phoenix had survived its difficult descent and landed 15 minutes earlier, thus completing a 680 million km (422 million mile) flight from Earth.[12] NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ...
PDT is UTC-7 The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-8). ...
UTC redirects here. ...
PDT is UTC-7 The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-8). ...
Parachute deployment was about 7 seconds later than expected, leading to a landing position some 25–28 km long (east), near the edge of the predicted 99% landing ellipse. The reason for this delay is not yet publically known.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera photographed Phoenix suspended from its parachute during its descent through the Martian atmosphere. This marks the first time ever one spacecraft has photographed another in the act of landing on a planet[12][13] (the Moon not being a planet, but a satellite). The same camera also imaged Phoenix on the surface with enough resolution to distinguish the lander and its two solar cell arrays, establishing the lander's location as 68.218830°N 234.250778°E.[14] See here for the Google Mars map of Phoenix's landing site. NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ...
HiRISE The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera is a camera onboard the Mars Reconaissance Orbiter. ...
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called the primary. ...
Phoenix successfully landed in the Green Valley of Vastitas Borealis on May 25, 2008,[15] in the late Martian northern hemisphere spring (Ls = 76.73), where the Sun will shine on its solar panels the whole Martian day.[16] By the Martian northern Summer solstice (2008-06-25), the Sun will appear at its maximum elevation of 47.0 degrees. Phoenix will experience its first sunset at the start of September 2008.[16] Vastitas Borealis is the largest lowland region of Mars. ...
is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...
Various schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The landing was made on a flat surface, with the lander reporting only 0.3 degrees of tilt. Just prior to landing, the craft performed a successful reorientation using its thrusters to allow the solar panels to deploy along an east-west axis to maximize power generation. The lander waited 15 minutes before opening its solar panels, to allow dust to settle. The first images from the lander became available around 7:00 p.m. PDT (2008-05-26 02:00 UTC).[17] The images show a surface strewn with pebbles and incised with small troughs into polygons about 5 m across and 10 cm high, with the expected absence of large rocks and hills. In Gelisols, cryoturbation refers to the mixing of materials from various horizons of the soil right down to the parent rock. ...
While these two men dig in Alaska to study soil, the hard permafrost requires the use of a jackhammer In geology, permafrost or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water (0 °C or 32 °F) for two or more years. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The polygonal cracking in this area had previously been observed from orbit, and is similar to patterns seen in permafrost areas in polar and high altitude regions of Earth. A likely formation mechanism is that permafrost ice contracts when the temperature decreases, creating a polygonal pattern of cracks, which are then filled by loose soil falling in from above. When the temperature increases and the ice expands back to its former volume, it thus cannot assume its former shape, but is forced to buckle upwards.[18] (On Earth, liquid water would probably enter at times along with soil, creating additional disruption due to ice wedging when the contents of the cracks freeze.) While these two men dig in Alaska to study soil, the hard permafrost requires the use of a jackhammer In geology, permafrost or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water (0 °C or 32 °F) for two or more years. ...
This article is about Earth as a planet. ...
An ice wedge, another process associated with periglacial environments, is a narrow mass of ice that can be 3 or 4 meters wide at ground surface and extend up to 10 meters downwards. ...
Phoenix footpad image, taken over 15 minutes after landing to ensure any dust stirred up had settled. | One of the first surface images from Phoenix. | | Comparison between polygons photographed by Phoenix on Mars... Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ...
| ... and as photographed (in false color) from Mars orbit... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ...
| ... with patterned ground on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic, on Earth. Devon Island, Nunavut. ...
Main articles: History of Canada, Timeline of Canadian history Canada has been inhabited by aboriginal peoples (known in Canada as First Nations) for at least 40,000 years. ...
For the ships, see USS Arctic, SS Arctic, MV Arctic The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, sometimes used to define the Arctic region border Artificially coloured topographical map of the Arctic region The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic...
This article is about Earth as a planet. ...
| Phoenix landed the same way as the Viking program spacecraft, slowed primarily by rockets.[19] Experiments conducted by Nilton Renno, mission Co-Investigator from the University of Michigan, and his students have specifically looked at how much surface dust will be kicked up when Phoenix lands.[20] Researchers at Tufts University, led by Co-Investigator Sam Kounaves, will be conducting additional in depth experiments to identify the extent of the ammonia contamination from the hydrazine propellent and its possible effects on the chemistry experiments. In 2007, a report was filed to the American Astronomical Society by Washington State University professor Dirk Schulze-Makuch, suggesting that Mars might harbor peroxide-based life forms which the Viking landers failed to detect because of the unexpected chemistry.[21] The hypothesis was proposed long after any modifications to Phoenix could be made. One of the Phoenix mission investigators, NASA astrobiologist Chris McKay, stated that the report "piqued his interest" and that ways to test the hypothesis with Phoenix's instruments would be sought. Viking mission profile. ...
Hydrazine is the chemical compound with formula N2H4. ...
The American Astronomical Society (AAS) is a US society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The main aim of the AAS is provide a political voice for its members and organise their lobbying. ...
Washington State University (WSU) is a major public research university in Pullman, Washington. ...
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a very pale blue liquid which appears colorless in a dilute solution, slightly more viscous than water. ...
Alternative biochemistry is the speculative biochemistry of alien life forms that differ radically from those on Earth. ...
Dr. Christopher McKay of NASA Ames Research Center. ...
Communications NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter successfully received information from the Phoenix Mars Lander May 27, 2008 and relayed the information to Earth. The relayed transmission included images and other data collected by Phoenix during the mission's second day after landing on Mars. NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ...
is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...
The robotic arm's first movement was delayed by one day when, on May 27, commands from Earth did not get all the way to the Phoenix lander on Mars. The commands went to NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as planned, but the orbiter's Electra UHF radio system for relaying commands to Phoenix temporarily shut off. Without new commands, the lander instead carried out a set of activity commands sent May 26 as a backup. Images and other information from those activities were successfully relayed back to Earth by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter May 27. is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
"Phoenix is in perfect health," JPL's Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager, said Wednesday morning, May 28, 2008. The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ...
is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...
Scientists leading NASA's Phoenix Mars mission from the University of Arizona in Tucson sent commands to unstow its robotic arm and take more images of its landing site on May 28. is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
"We appear to have landed where we have access to digging down a polygon trough the long way, digging across the trough, and digging into the center of a polygon. We've dedicated this polygon as the first national park system on Mars -- a "keep out" zone until we figure out how best to use this natural Martian resource", Imager co-investigator Mark Lemmon of Texas A&M University said.[22] Texas A&M University redirects here. ...
The robotic arm was a critical part of the Phoenix Mars mission. It was needed to trench into the icy layers of northern polar Mars and deliver samples to instruments that would analyze what Mars is made of, what its water is like, and whether it is or has ever been a possible habitat for life.
Robotic arm manager Bob Bonitz of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., explained how the arm was to be unstowed on May 28. "It's a series of seven moves, beginning with rotating the wrist to release the forearm from its launch restraint. Another series of moves releases the elbow from its launch restraints and moves the elbow from underneath the biobarrier." is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Scientific payload Phoenix carries improved versions of University of Arizona panoramic cameras and volatiles-analysis instrument from the ill-fated Mars Polar Lander, as well as experiments that had been built for the canceled Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, including a JPL trench-digging robot arm, a set of wet chemistry laboratories, and optical and atomic force microscopes. The science payload also includes a descent imager and a suite of meteorological instruments.[23] Conceptual drawing of the Mars Polar Lander on the surface of Mars. ...
Conceptual drawing Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander was a planned NASA Mars probe which was cancelled in May 2000 in the wake of the failures of the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander missions in late 1999. ...
Robotic arm and camera The Robotic Arm (RA) is designed to extend 2.35 m from its base on the lander, and have the ability to dig down to 0.5 m below the surface. It will take samples of dirt and water-ice that will be analyzed by other instruments on the lander. The arm was designed and built for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory by Alliance Spacesystems, LLC[24] in Pasadena, California. For the singer/songwriter, see Jon Peter Lewis. ...
The Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) attached to the Robotic Arm just above the scoop is able to take full-color pictures of the area, as well as verify the samples that the scoop will return, and examine the grains of the area where the Robotic Arm has just dug. The camera was made by the University of Arizona and Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research,[25] Germany.[26] The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...
Max Planck Institute for Solarsystem Research April 2006 The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) is part of the Max Planck Society which operates 80 research facilities in Germany. ...
Surface stereo imager  Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) built by the University of Arizona. The Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) is the primary camera on the spacecraft. It is a stereo camera that is described as "a higher resolution upgrade of the imager used for Mars Pathfinder and the Mars Polar Lander".[27] It is expected to take many stereo images of the Martian Arctic. It will also be able, using the Sun as a reference, to measure the atmospheric distortion of the Martian atmosphere due to dust, air and other features. The camera was provided by the University of Arizona in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research.[28][29]
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Stereoscopy. ...
The Mars Pathfinder was launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II just a month after the Mars Global Surveyor was launched. ...
Conceptual drawing of the Mars Polar Lander on the surface of Mars. ...
Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has a very different atmosphere from that of Earth. ...
The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...
Max Planck Institute for Solarsystem Research April 2006 The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) is part of the Max Planck Society which operates 80 research facilities in Germany. ...
Thermal and evolved gas analyzer  Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA). The Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) is a combination of a high-temperature furnace with a mass spectrometer. It will be used to bake samples of Martian dust, and determine the content of this dust. It has eight ovens, each about the size of a large ball-point pen, which will be able to analyze one sample each, for a total of eight separate samples. Team members can measure how much water vapor and carbon dioxide gas are given off, how much water-ice the samples contain, and what minerals are present that may have formed during a wetter, warmer past climate. The instrument will also be capable of measuring any organic volatiles, down to 10 ppb. TEGA was built by the University of Arizona and University of Texas at Dallas.[30] Mass spectrometry is a technique for separating ions by their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios. ...
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula: ) is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. ...
This article describes a highly specialized aspect of its subject in the Terminology and legal definitions section. ...
Parts-per notation is a measure of concentration that is used where low levels of concentration are significant. ...
The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...
The University of Texas at Dallas, often called UT Dallas or UTD, is a doctoral/research university in the University of Texas System. ...
Mars Descent Imager  Mars Descent Imager built by Malin Space Science Systems. The Mars Descent Imager ("MARDI") was intended to take pictures of the landing site during the last three minutes of descent. As originally planned, it would have begun taking pictures after the aeroshell departed, about 8 km above the Martian soil.
Before launch, testing of the assembled spacecraft uncovered a potential data corruption problem with an interface card that was designed to route MARDI image data as well as data from various other parts of the spacecraft. The potential problem could occur if the interface card were to receive a MARDI picture during a critical phase of the spacecraft's final descent, at which point data from the spacecraft's Inertial Measurement Unit could have been lost; this data was critical to controlling the descent and landing. This was judged to be an unacceptable risk, and it was decided to not use MARDI during the mission.[31] As the flaw was discovered too late for repairs, the camera remains installed on Phoenix; it was not used to take pictures, nor was its built-in microphone used.[32]
After launch, an alternative plan was developed for MARDI to capture a single image during descent; but it was determined that this would have required changes to the timing of events during descent, so the alternative plan was also discarded, in favor of reducing risk.
MARDI images had been intended to help pinpoint exactly where the lander has landed, and possibly help find potential science targets. It was also to be used to learn if the area where the lander lands is typical of the surrounding terrain. MARDI was built by Malin Space Science Systems.[33] Malin Space Science Systems is a San Diego, California company that designs, develops, and operates instruments to fly on unmanned spacecraft. ...
MARDI is the lightest and most efficient camera ever to land on Mars. It would have used only 3 watts of power during the imaging process, less than most other space cameras. It had originally been designed and built to perform the same function on the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander mission; after that mission was canceled, MARDI spent several years in storage until it was deployed on the Phoenix lander. For other uses, see Watt (disambiguation). ...
Conceptual drawing Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander was a planned NASA Mars probe which was cancelled in May 2000 in the wake of the failures of the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander missions in late 1999. ...
Microscopy, electrochemistry, and conductivity analyzer  A prototype wet chemistry beaker showing some of the electrochemistry sensors on the sides of the beaker. The Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) is an instrument package originally designed for the canceled Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander mission. It consists of a wet chemistry lab (WCL), optical and atomic force microscope, and a thermal and electrical conductivity probe.[34] The Jet Propulsion Laboratory built MECA. A Swiss consortium led by the University of Neuchatel contributed the atomic force microscope.[35] The University of Arizona designed the optical microscope. Tufts University developed reagents and sensors for the web chemistry lab.[36] Imperial College London provided the microscope sample substrates.[37] A beaker is a simple container for liquids, very commonly used in laboratories. ...
Conceptual drawing Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander was a planned NASA Mars probe which was cancelled in May 2000 in the wake of the failures of the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander missions in late 1999. ...
Wet chemistry is a term used to refer to chemistry generally done in the liquid phase. ...
Topographic scan of a glass surface The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a very high-resolution type of scanning probe microscope, with demonstrated resolution of fractions of a nanometer, more than 1000 times better than the optical diffraction limit. ...
Not to be confused with electrical conductance, a measure of an objects or circuits ability to conduct an electric current between two points, which is dependent on the electrical conductivity and the geometric dimensions of the conducting object. ...
For the singer/songwriter, see Jon Peter Lewis. ...
The University of Neuchâtel is a university in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. ...
The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford/Somerville, Massachusetts, suburbs of Boston. ...
Affiliations Russell Group Association of MBAs IDEA League Association of Commonwealth Universities Golden Triangle Oak Ridge Associated Universities Nobel laureates 14 Website http://www. ...
Using MECA, researchers will examine soil particles as small as 16 μm across. They will measure electrical and thermal conductivity of soil particles using a probe on the robotic arm scoop.[38] A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer, symbol µm) is an SI unit of length. ...
The robotic arm will scoop up some soil, put it in one of four wet chemistry lab cells, where water will be added, and while stirring, an array of electrochemical sensors will measure a dozen dissolved ions such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and sulfate that have leached out from the soil into the water. This will provide information on the biological compatibility of the soil, both for possible indigenous microbes and for possible future Earth visitors. Sensors will also measure the pH and conductivity of the soil-water mixture, telling if the wet soil is super acidic or alkaline and salty, or full of oxidants that can destroy life.[39] For sodium in the diet, see Salt. ...
General Name, symbol, number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, period, block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white solid at room temp Standard atomic weight 24. ...
For other uses, see Calcium (disambiguation). ...
The sulfate anion, SO42− The structure and bonding of the sulfate ion In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate (IUPAC-recommended spelling; also sulphate in British English) is a salt of sulfuric acid. ...
For other uses, see PH (disambiguation). ...
Electrical conductivity is a measure of how well a material accommodates the transport of electric charge. ...
Acids and bases: Acid-base extraction Acid-base reaction Acid dissociation constant Acidity function Buffer solutions pH Proton affinity Self-ionization of water Acids: Lewis acids Mineral acids Organic acids Strong acids Superacids Weak acids Bases: Lewis bases Organic bases Strong bases Superbases Harpoon bases Weak bases edit A superacid...
The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ...
An oxidizing agent is a compound that oxidizes another substance in electrochemistry or redox chemical reactions. ...
Meteorological station  Meteorological Station (MET) built by the Canadian Space Agency.  Phoenix deployed and then imaged the MET weather mast that holds the wind-strength and direction-measuring telltale at a height of 2.3 m. This enhanced image shows wind from the northeast at day 3. Credit:NASA The Meteorological Station (MET) will record the daily weather during the course of the Phoenix mission. It is equipped with a wind indicator and pressure and temperature sensors. The MET also contains a lidar (laser imaging detection and ranging) device for sampling the number of dust particles in the air. It was designed in Canada and supported by the Canadian Space Agency. A team headed by York University will oversee the science operations of the station. The York University team includes contributions from the University of Alberta, University of Aarhus (Denmark)[40], Dalhousie University,[41] Finnish Meteorological Institute,[42] Optech, and the Geological Survey of Canada. Canadarm maker MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. of Richmond, B.C. built the MET.[43] This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
A FASOR used at the Starfire Optical Range for LIDAR and laser guide star experiments is tuned to the sodium D2a line and used to excite sodium atoms in the upper atmosphere. ...
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA or, in French, lAgence spatiale canadienne, ASC) is the Canadian government space agency responsible for Canadas space program. ...
This article is about the Canadian university. ...
The University of Alberta (U of A) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ...
Aarhus Universitet or the University of Aarhus is a university based in Ã…rhus, Denmark. ...
Dalhousie University is a university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ...
Finnish Meteorological Institute (Ilmatieteen laitos) is a government agency, which is a central place responsible for gathering and r |
