Mars Spacecraft Faces Riskiest Part of Mission

TechnologyMars Spacecraft Faces Riskiest Part of MissionMars Spacecraft Faces Riskiest Part of MissionThe Associated PressNASA's Phoenix spacecraft is set to descend to the surface of Mars for 90-day mission to excavate soil and ice. NASA hopes the mission will illuminate whether the site could have supported microbial life. (May 24)[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE] [Notes:VO--NASA ANIMATION OF PHOENIX]AFTER TRAVELING NEARLY TEN MONTHS IN SPACE -- THE PHOENIX MARS LANDER IS ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE SURFACE OF MARS.IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN -- IT WILL LAND ON THE PLANET'S NORTHERN POLAR REGION WHERE SCIENTISTS THINK THERE ARE VAST AMOUNTS OF UNDERGROUND ICE -- AND PERHAPS TRACES OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS -- AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT FOR LIFE [Notes:SOT--DOUG MCCUISTION/NASA MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAMME] "This is truly the defining moment of this mission. Nonetheless global success rate for getting to the surface of Mars is less than 50 percent. The challenges that that represents requires perseverance from a team like this so Phoenix doesn't become another statistic." [Notes:VO--ANIMATION OF PHOENIX]THE LANDER WILL RELY ON ITS HEAT SHIELD -- IT'S PARACHUTE -- AND A DOZEN THRUSTERS TO SLOW ITSELF DOWN FROM 12 THOUSAND MILES PER HOUR TO JUST 5 MILES PER HOUR IN ONLY A FEW MINUTES. [Notes:SOT--- DOUG MCCUISTION/NASA] " "There is a lot of uncertainties left. There is still the potential for a manoeuvre that's gonna be discussed. There is also just typically the unknown that occur on Mars. Mars is always there to throw those unknowns at us." [Notes:VO --ANIMATION OF PHOENIX]IF SUCCESSFUL -- PHOENIX WILL JOIN TWO OTHER SPACECRAFT ON THE MARTIAN SURFACE -- "SPIRIT" AND "OPPORTUNITY," THE TWO ROVERS THAT LANDED FOUR YEARS AGO AND HAVE BEEN EXPLORING THE PLANET'S EQUATOR. [Notes:VO--PHOTO OF VIKING MISSION] HOWEVER -- NASA HASN'T HAD A SUCCESSFUL *POWERED* LANDING SINCE THE MARS VIKING MISSION IN 1976. [Notes:VO--PHOTO OF MARS POLAR LANDER]THE LAST TIME NASA MADE AN ATTEMPT WAS 1999 WHEN THE MARS POLAR LANDER CUT OFF ITS ENGINES TOO QUICKLY AND CRASHED INTO THE SOUTH POLE DURING A COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT. ___ ___, The Associated Press.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• nasa
• mars
• spacecraft
• faces
• riskiest
• part
• mission

[Scalywag66]

The Burj Dubai skyscraper costs over 2 billion dollars to construct. 

Whether it's our money or private money that is building those skyscrapers in Dubai, I'd rather spend $420 million on research that is beneficial to us, rather than $2 billion just to show off your money.

[redbullmonsterman]

a person 100 years ago would shit his pant if he saw this

[xxxxxDIABLOxxx]

@Scalywag66 you should understand that the whole middle east is stupid.

[Patkanar]

Doom III

[CapitalGamer]

@Batibeti It's not the materials mate, it's the labour.

[Strogenforcer]

Wow you really can't spell worth a fuck can you ?

[Batibeti]

who cares about them let them die the USA is advancing and when we colonize mars the first thing were gonna do is terraform it build cities their and rip out every mineral their for profit cause I'm tired of buying Chinese Crap let China buy from us cause well have the best resources noone will buy from China anymore

[Batibeti]

ur dumb Mars has so many resources it's mineral resources makes ours look like shit put this in ur tiny little mind we colonize mars China no longer has it's best customer cause we don't need it anymore Oil from the middle east becomes black goo to us when we reach mars cause their's probally a better fuel their anyway look at the money we can earn from this 2billion would look like a penny compared to the amount of cash we would get from this

[Batibeti]

genius if we colonize mars we won't have to rely on those guy's Oil anymore and we won't have to buy Chinese crap anymore either infact they'll be buying from us cause Mars is gold mine with jewels coming out of it the mineral resources beats Earth bye a whole lot more the USA will be so rich no other country could benefit from this cause we would be too rich too have to share land with anyone else

[EBKCuz]

I cant wait til they built cities there....Imma be on dat bitch like Total Recall! Get drunk on martian liquars n fuck some martian hoes....datz da shit I wanna exsperiance b4 I die! lmao........

[cagarica]

amerika starting to stink not even a god movies or songs you fuck niggs your all the same to gridi to share with someone somethink but when you do somethink you talk even through your ass