Phoenix Mars Lander - Has Landed!!!

05/31/2008 01:21:39 PM · #76

This image, posted today:

Taken with the lander's robotic arm, looking under the spacecraft, shows a patch of bright, whiteish surface. Ice?? Very nice!

From Emily's blog.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/31/2008 03:42:37 PM · #77

Originally posted by strangeghost:

Taken with the lander's robotic arm, looking under the spacecraft, shows a patch of bright, whiteish surface. Ice??

Given that it looks like it's directly under one of the lander's thruster nozzles, it seems more likely it would be either something glassy fused from dust during landing, or else maybe frozen condensate from the rocket exhaust. Cool picture anyway!

05/31/2008 03:45:53 PM · #78

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Obviously still a work in progress, but here's the latest post from the blog:

"There was a phone briefing this morning, and the science team seems to be pretty sure they are looking at ice in the image I posted last night, but they are doing the necessary tests to make sure."

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/31/2008 03:50:36 PM · #79

Well, I'm very curious as to what kind of ice would survive being blasted by an array of twelve rocket engines. Like I said, maybe it's the frozen remnants of rocket exhaust, or else it's a lot thicker and those rockets less hot than I'd have thought. I haven't heard of any Martian planetary evolution theories which call for patches of ice to be lying about on the surface these days ... but one can always hope for the best.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/31/2008 04:20:37 PM · #80

The data from the orbiters strongly suggests that there is a layer of ice just below the surface soils at these latitudes. The surface morphology of the broken hexagonal shapes is very similar to what's seen at higher latitudes on Earth where the surface undergoes periodic freezings and thawings. The scoop on the end of Phoenix's robotic arm was designed to dig through this surface layer to expose the hypothesized ice not too far below. The rockets of phoenix may have just blown away that surface layer without disturbing the ice too far beneath. Remember, those jets cut off just above the surface allowing the lander to drop the last couple of feet. I don't think the surface was exposed to any sort of prolonged blasting.

Still, all conjecture on my part. Let's wait and see what they find out with their detailed analysis, surely to follow within a day or two. Very exciting to watch a scientific investigation unfold - on another planet!

Simms

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

11/11/2008 04:11:22 AM · #81

RIP

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/11/2008 10:20:19 AM · #82

Originally posted by Simms:

RIP

I read about that ... though it seems to me that when it thaws out in a year or so, the Phoenix could rise again ...:-)

Maybe they should start installing something like what's used on self-cleaning camera sensors to shake the dust of those solar panels.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

11/11/2008 12:41:06 PM · #83

Originally posted by GeneralE:

... though it seems to me that when it thaws out in a year or so, the Phoenix could rise again ...:-)

Maybe they should start installing something like what's used on self-cleaning camera sensors to shake the dust of those solar panels.

Almost no chance of that. The lander's electronics rely on onboard heaters to keep them from freezing and cracking. Once power is lost and the lander is exposed to a few nights of the naked -150 temps with no heaters, the spacecraft is lost for good. That's what NASA is saying has now likely happened. Though they'll continue to listen for a few more days, the odds that the system will awaken and start transmitting again is nil. As polar winter sets in, the whole landscape and lander will likely be covered in a few inches to a few feet of solid CO2. It would be a site to see. I'm sure the MRO will attempt to image it next (martian) spring.

citymars

Nikon D700

11/11/2008 12:46:38 PM · #84

Cool story. The lander already lasted longer than anticipated. Thanks for the update.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/11/2008 12:48:30 PM · #85

Yeah, it exceeded its predicted life-expectancy by almost double.