A Mars Odyssey

Before we get started on today’s articles, check out the Carnival of Space #43 at http://startswithabang.com/, for the latest science information at the website “Starts with a Bang”, by Ethan Siegel, astrophysicist. Some excellent articles and websites are gathered there to enlighten the mind and soul. Check it out!!

“We will have diagnostic information from the top of the atmosphere to the ground that will give us insight into the landing sequence,” says David Spencer of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, deputy project manager for the Phoenix Mars Lander project. This information would be valuable in the event of a problem with the landing and has the potential to benefit the design of future landers.

On May 25th NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander will enter the Martian atmosphere, received by a welcoming committee of three Mars spacecraft. Meanwhile, they are preparing to adjust their orbits to be at the right place, at the right time–listening for the Phoenix as it arrives. Originally launched on August 4, 2007, the Phoenix lander is set to land as far north as possible on Mars, further than any other mission. The site that has been chosen in order to study frozen water mixed with soil, under the surface of Mars.

Landing on Mars is not going to be an easy task, and having the three spacecraft track it as it streaks by is going to set “a new standard for coverage of critical events during a robotic landing,” according to NASA officials. Once the data begins to tape, it will be relayed top Earth throughout the entire entry, descent, and landing of the Phoenix–continuing for one minute after the Phoenix Lander touches down on the arctic plains of Mars. During the final seconds of descent, pulsed rocket engines will control its speed.

Definitely an international cooperation, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express is in place to record the Phoenix’s transmissions during its landing. Additionally, the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has another thruster firing in April and the NASA twin rovers are simulating transmissions from the Phoenix for testing of the orbiters in space.

The dangerous part of the mission will be with the Phoenix enters the Martian atmosphere at 12,750 mph, and then in the next 7 seconds it will use its heat-shield friction and a parachute, while its descent rockets will slow it down to 5.4 mph before it lands on Mars, on three legs. The Phoenix has a little under 100 million miles left to go before it reaches Mars, presently carrying out testing and instrument preparations. On February 27th, the Canadian Space Agency had calibrated the pressure and sensor temperature of their meteorological station. “The spacecraft has been behaving so well that we have been able to focus much of the team’s attention on preparations for landing and surface operations,” they said.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 10:34 pm and is filed under Space Agency News, Technical Concerns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.