The Phoenix Mission Lands on Mars

• Main Author: Smith, Peter
• Other Authors: University of Arizona. Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: Georgia Institute of Technology 2008
• Subjects: Mars science; Planetary probes; Arctic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1853/26407

This presentation was part of the session : Opening - Thursday Parallel Sessions - June 26 Sixth International Planetary Probe Workshop Phoenix will land on the arctic plains of Mars on May 25, 2008. The team of the University of Arizona, the Jet propulsion Lab, and Lockheed Martin have spent a considerable effort in orchestrating a robust approach, entry, descent, and landing sequence of events. Contingency maneuvers are planned for every critical event such that the team can respond rapidly with tested procedures to any potential anomaly. Once on the surface, we will evaluate the power levels, communication links, and thermal state to assess the health of the lander and its ability to complete our mission goals. By the time of the conference, panoramic images and the results of the analysis of the first surface samples of soil should be available. In addition, the weather patterns will be monitored during the active summer season. The mission will continue for several months while we dig down to the ice boundary and sample both ice and soil to understand the mineralogy, chemistry, and the potential for habitability of this unexplored region of Mars. NASA