Phoenix Landing

NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars today to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm.

Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53:44 p.m. Eastern Time) confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier. The signals took that long to travel from Mars to Earth at the speed of light.

Mission team members at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.; Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver; and the University of Arizona, Tucson, cheered confirmation of the landing and eagerly awaited further information from Phoenix later tonight.

Among those in the JPL control room was NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, who noted this was the first successful Mars landing without airbags since Viking 2 in 1976.

"For the first time in 32 years, and only the third time in history, a JPL team has carried out a soft landing on Mars," Griffin said. "I couldn't be happier to be here to witness this incredible achievement."

During its 422-million-mile flight from Earth to Mars after launching on Aug. 4, 2007, Phoenix relied on electricity from solar panels during the spacecraft's cruise stage. The cruise stage was jettisoned seven minutes before the lander, encased in a protective shell, entered the Martian atmosphere. Batteries provide electricity until the lander's own pair of solar arrays spread open.

"We've passed the hardest part and we're breathing again, but we still need to see that Phoenix has opened its solar arrays and begun generating power," said JPL's Barry Goldstein, the Phoenix project manager. If all goes well, engineers will learn the status of the solar arrays between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time (10 and 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time) from a Phoenix transmission relayed via NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter.

The team will also be watching for the Sunday night transmission to confirm that masts for the stereo camera and the weather station have swung to their vertical positions.

"What a thrilling landing! But the team is waiting impatiently for the next set of signals that will verify a healthy spacecraft," said Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, principal investigator for the Phoenix mission. "I can hardly contain my enthusiasm. The first landed images of the Martian polar terrain will set the stage for our mission."

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Phoenix
• Mars
• Lander
• Landing
• Touchdown

[ZzBuRnTzZ]

I went to Mars once, The parking there is horrible, HORRIBLE

[sophiegromit]

NASA/Phoenix team... you people are AMAZING!!! How monumental is that???!!! Another successful space mission to MARS!!!!!!! I'm proud!!!!

[oliviamulgrew]

@ZzBuRnTzZ satellites gone... way up to mars

[oliviamulgrew]

attitude control are you having a laugh

[propaghandi2]

Yes best video , but theres missing one little detail , its when the crew sees actual picture of Mars right after landing, maybe this video was cut too short but excellent job on the landing and the Video!

[PC3900]

I fear for the success of the next lander, with it's risky, untried skycrane landing system.

[laserfloyd]

Sending a stationary probe to a planet that is millions of miles away has what to do with weapons? We have PLENTY of weapons on this planet that can already kill us all many times over.

Take this for what it is; science. And yes, well done guys.

[arbide2]

Pheonix was a joint project between NASA and Lockheed Martin. All of this is a privatization of space which is being conducted by the biggest American weapons corporations. This is all a part of the Military Industrial Complex and now it is expanding into space weaponary. There are organizations today trying to oppose this as it is a serious threat to humanity in many ways.

[steveissimo]

At least mankind is doing something we can really be proud of. Well done NASA

[yes4me]

The best video of the landing.

[clerlic]

They control whether the spacecraft's nose is pointed up or down.