Difference between revisions of "Phoenix Mars Mission"
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[[Image:Pheonixlogo.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The official logo for the ''Phoenix Mars Mission''.]] | [[Image:Pheonixlogo.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The official logo for the ''Phoenix Mars Mission''.]] | ||
| − | NASA's '''Phoenix''' mission | + | NASA's '''Phoenix''' mission was a robotic mission, the first lander in NASA's "Scout class". The lander landed in Mars' [[North Pole|north polar region]] on May 25th 2008, and the scientific package aimed to answer the questions: |
# Can the Martian arctic support life? | # Can the Martian arctic support life? | ||
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The mission name derives from several components built previously for cancelled missions, including 2001's [[Mars Surveyor lander]]. | The mission name derives from several components built previously for cancelled missions, including 2001's [[Mars Surveyor lander]]. | ||
| − | The mission | + | The mission was of considerable interest to planners of human missions to Mars, as many practical mission designs assume the availability of easily-extractable water for fuel production and industrial processes. The polar regions were expected to be the most likely places to find [[water|water ice]]. |
==Mission Profile== | ==Mission Profile== | ||
[[Image:Sm_140.jpg|thumb|left|200px|An artist's impression of the '''Phoenix lander''''s "powered landing" on touching down on the Mars surface.]] | [[Image:Sm_140.jpg|thumb|left|200px|An artist's impression of the '''Phoenix lander''''s "powered landing" on touching down on the Mars surface.]] | ||
| − | Phoenix was launched on 4th August 2007 on a [[Delta II]] 7925 rocket, and the scheduled landing on Mars on 25th May 2008 was successful. The landing site | + | Phoenix was launched on 4th August 2007 on a [[Delta II]] 7925 rocket, and the scheduled landing on Mars on 25th May 2008 was successful. The landing site was the ice-capped northern polar region. Although the primary mission was expected to last around 90 [[sol]]s, the lander was working 152 sols. The last transmission was received on November 2<sup>nd</sup> by the project team. |
==Accomplishments== | ==Accomplishments== | ||
| − | Phoenix has confirmed the presence of water ice in the | + | Phoenix has confirmed the presence of water ice in the Martian soil. The soil contains small amounts of salt (perchlorate salt, calcium carbonate). The mildly alkaline soil environment provides good conditions for growing plants. |
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
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*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft) Wikipedia article on Phoenix] | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft) Wikipedia article on Phoenix] | ||
*[http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix/ NASA: Phoenix Mars Lander] | *[http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix/ NASA: Phoenix Mars Lander] | ||
| + | *[http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/news/phoenix-20081110.html NASA: Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Successful Work on Red Planet] | ||
| + | *[http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/11_10_pr.php Phoenix web page: Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Successful Work On Red Planet] | ||
[[Category:Landers]] | [[Category:Landers]] | ||
Revision as of 12:13, 18 November 2008
NASA's Phoenix mission was a robotic mission, the first lander in NASA's "Scout class". The lander landed in Mars' north polar region on May 25th 2008, and the scientific package aimed to answer the questions:
- Can the Martian arctic support life?
- What is the history of water at the landing site?
- How is the Martian climate affected by polar dynamics?
The mission name derives from several components built previously for cancelled missions, including 2001's Mars Surveyor lander.
The mission was of considerable interest to planners of human missions to Mars, as many practical mission designs assume the availability of easily-extractable water for fuel production and industrial processes. The polar regions were expected to be the most likely places to find water ice.
Mission Profile
Phoenix was launched on 4th August 2007 on a Delta II 7925 rocket, and the scheduled landing on Mars on 25th May 2008 was successful. The landing site was the ice-capped northern polar region. Although the primary mission was expected to last around 90 sols, the lander was working 152 sols. The last transmission was received on November 2nd by the project team.
Accomplishments
Phoenix has confirmed the presence of water ice in the Martian soil. The soil contains small amounts of salt (perchlorate salt, calcium carbonate). The mildly alkaline soil environment provides good conditions for growing plants.
See Also
The Phoenix Mars Mission (MarsHome.org)
