Mars lander gets a solid start

The Mars Phoenix Lander parachutes down to Mars on Sunday, in this image captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona )

The first images from the Phoenix Mars Lander have confirmed that the solar panels needed for its energy supply unfolded as planned and that masts for its camera and weather station are in position.

A successful touchdown late Sunday was followed by the first pictures about two hours later. More images are expected Monday evening.

This is one of the first images captured by the Phoenix lander, showing the vast plains of the northern polar region of Mars. The image was taken in black and white, with the approximate color inferred from two filters.

(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

The pictures "show a beautiful Martian landscape," Brent Shockley, Phoenix configuration and information management engineer, wrote in his blog Sunday night.

The landing of NASA's machine concluded a 422-million-mile journey that began last August. The Phoenix is on a three-month mission to determine whether ice below the surface ever thaws and whether some of the chemical ingredients needed for life are preserved in the soil.

"It's liquid water we're looking for," Peter Smith, of the University of Arizona at Tucson and principal investigator for the Phoenix mission, said during a press conference Monday on NASA TV. "Does the ice melt?"

Smith noted that the ground looks like the "active surface of the Arctic regions of Earth." Cracks in the soil show that surface is "active" because no dust or sand has filled in the cracks.

One particularly interesting photo comes from the NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which actually captured the lander as it was parachuting to Mars in the last leg of its long journey. Barry Goldstein, project manager of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, called that image "spectacular." The orbiter will act as a middleman communicator between the Phoenix and NASA.

At some point over the next few days, the lander's 7.7-foot robotic arm is scheduled to begin functioning. The robotic arm is set to collect the first soil samples in about a week.

The lander is expected to function for about 90 days with energy generated by the solar panels.

"Seven minutes of terror will be followed by three months of joy," a jovial Goldstein said during Monday's press conference, referring to the seven minutes of the final stage of landing.

But it is possible that the lander will function longer.

"We are going to operate till Mars freezes over," Goldstein joked.

Here is one of the octagonal solar panels, which open like handheld, collapsible fans on either side of the spacecraft. Beyond this view is a small slice of the north polar terrain of Mars. The image has been geometrically corrected, according to NASA.

(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona))

[JBorders_CNet]

OCTAGONAL solar panels?? Are you kidding me? Can these scientists not count? Ohhhh, maybe they mean METRIC octagonal solar panel sections....or maybe rocket scientists skip basic geometry...LMFAO......

[tacit]

Yes, octagonal. There are eight sections. Each one of those eight sections is hinged into to pieces, so tha thte octagon folds up.

Check out the image at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/images/phoenix_lander_large.jpg and you will see that the unfolded panels are an octagon.

[Jack K1]

The NASA illustration shows 8. This photo shows 10. Count'em.

[yacahuma]

First, I applaud nasa's effort BUT, after all the money spent, why not send a rover? Is this lander just going to stay in one place??

[k2dave]

One possibility is that there is a huge power requirement for mobility, and this lander seems to have a much larger solar collector then the rovers, so I guess that the instruments that are on board this puppy require far more power then the ones on the rovers, so mobility may not be a practical option. Also a possibility that the size and weight of this lander may not be suitable for roving.

[No Man]

They didn't send a rover because their purpose is not surface exploration. Phoenix is a mining probe designed to take relatively deep subsurface soil and ice samples. With an accurate enough landing (which they achieved perfectly) and carefully chosen site, they had no need to make it mobile. And by eliminating the superfluous bulk of motors, guidance computers, and the batteries for all of them, they were able to make a probe that is better equipped to do its specific job. I, for one, am thrilled that they didn't cave to public pressure and send yet another rover that takes pretty pictures and tells us nothing about what's under the surface. They designed Phoenix to tell them exactly what they need to know, and do that to the best of its ability.

[zmonster]

I hope the media will ask John McCain why the governor of his home state, Fife Symington, gave an interview last fall where he said, and I quote, "some form of an Alien spacecraft flew over Phoenix. Former Arizona Governor Fife Symington was responding to the Phoenix Lights UFO incident that occurred in March, 1997. Why did the Republican governor of Arizona (of all people) make such an out-there comment? Was Sen. McCain briefed by the Pentagon on this Alien space craft fly over? You can do an internet search for Fife Symington Phoenix Lights to bring up the nationwide TV inerview of Symington where he unequivocally states that an 'Alien spacecraft' flew over Phoenix (his words, not mine). John McCain should explain to the American people what he knows about this event.

[gangsterdisciple715]

i think its great that there gettin these pictures takin hopefully they can fing aliens .. lol

[reidhb]

You mean the thing only sent back two pictures? Thats not so great.

[jollyjim]

Why in this world are governments spending so much money to place ?toys? on other planets. The Hubbell telescope and space station should suffice. If they, scientists, think we humans are the only ones in the galaxy, they should take a statistics course because with all the billions of stars there will be other suns with planets and some will have life them; of course, life may not be anything like life on this planet; we will not be able to communicate with them. Life may be less or more advanced than us, and/or it may be friendly or hostile. As far as the ?big bang? theory goes, they are overlooking one very important detail concerning that theory - where did everything come from to make the ?big bang? in the first place. And the ideal that we eventually will colonize other planets, ask yourself this, ?Who will be the ones to do it? You? Me? No way, it will only be the elite and we will pay for their fun.?

Before the governments spend any more money in space other than for communication / weather satellites, or the space station, they should first get along with each other and find ways to save this planet we are all on before going to some other planet to pollute it. Another words, put our house in order first.

[Newspeak finder]

Nice try but you can't blame your agencies problems with counting on Europe.

[cnet-og]

"...Nice try but you can't blame your agencies problems with counting on Europe."

He was referring to the lost Mars Climate Orbiter in 1999... two teams were communicating telemetry data to correct the space craft's path... This doesn't end well when one team is using Metric Units and the other English (with no conversion!) :-(

[WILEDISON]

ATTEN: I BET THAT NOONE CAN GET THE OFFICAL SPECS ON MARS ATMOSPHERE?

( MUST TOTAL 100% ) ... NASA WILL NEVER TELL YOU

[WILEDISON]

ATTEN: I BET THAT NOONE CAN GET THE OFFICAL SPECS ON MARS ATMOSPHERE? ( MUST TOTAL 100% ) ... NASA WILL NEVER TELL YOU
C O M E O N ....... . . . . . . WHAT ARE THE OFFICAL READINGS????????

[WILEDISON]

ATTEN: I BET THAT NOONE CAN GET THE OFFICAL SPECS ON MARS ATMOSPHERE? ( MUST TOTAL 100% ) ... NASA WILL NEVER TELL YOU
C O M E O N ....... . . . . . . WHAT ARE THE OFFICAL READINGS????????

[WILEDISON]

ATTEN: I BET THAT NOONE CAN GET THE OFFICAL SPECS ON MARS ATMOSPHERE? ( MUST TOTAL 100% ) ... NASA WILL NEVER TELL YOU !!!! C O M E O N ....... . . . . . . WHAT ARE THE OFFICAL READINGS????????

[NUKEVEGAS]

NASA AND GARY ROBBINS SITE HAVE REMOVED EVERY ONE OF MY BLOGS. THIS IS FACT. THEY WILL NEVER TELL THE PUBLIC OF THE RECENT MARS LANDER PHOENIX OFFICAL READING OF MARS ATMOSPHERE to a TOTAL 100%. NOT ME , NOT YOU WILL EVER GET AN ANSWER!!

[NUKEVEGAS]

I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THIS SITE AS OF TWO DAYS AGO, BUT THE SCREEN SAID THANK YOU NUKEVEGAS FOR YOUR COMMENT .. I HAVE NEVER LOGGED ON HERE AS THAT AND NOT FROM THIS PC.... SEEM OL FEDS ARE CONFUSED

[NUKEVEGAS]

NEW SITE <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygoDJ3jGLrU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygoDJ3jGLrU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> www.mysace.com/phoenixlander

[NUKEVEGAS]

myspace.com/phoenixlander

[NUKEVEGAS]

www.myspace.com/phoenixlander

[searl2112]

and another thing , if the atmosphere on mars is 8.5 mbar like nasa says How COULD YOU EVEN USE A PARACHUTE ( NEAR VACUUM)

[benjaminstraight]

So when will people land?