|
Search for more posters and art
Astronaut
Prints
Mars Poster
Prints
Phoenix Mars Mission
By Nancy Houser
Building on the achievements of the Mars Pathfinder, the lessons
learned by the failure of the Mars Polar Lander and the success of
the Mars Odyssey in discovering water on the planet, the upcoming
Phoenix Mars Mission is rising to the challenge of Mars exploration.
With a launch date of August 3, 2007, 5:35 a.m. EDT, the start of a
launch window of 20 days, the flight will be the first in the NASA
“Scout Program”. After journeying 171 million miles the Phoenix is
scheduled make a powered descent to the planet’s surface on May 25,
2008.
Using innovative technology, and with a comparatively low cost, the
Scouts are intended to complement other major missions. The
University of Arizona is leading the mission, becoming the first
university to do so, and the Canadian Space Agency as well as the
European Space Agency have teamed with the U.S. to develop the
advanced technology being used on the flight.
The Phoenix will be using a lander developed for the Mars Surveyor
Lander before it was cancelled. Also, they will incorporate complex
instruments based on those lost when the landing gear of the Mars
Polar Lander was deployed, accidentally shutting off the engine
while the lander was still far above the planet’s surface. Intended,
as was the Polar Lander, to collect water ice at the poles, the
Phoenix will land on the northern pole of Mars between 65 and 75
north latitude. The mission is planned to last 150 days, during
which a robotic arm nearly eight feet long will dig trenches up to a
depth of three feet into the water ice, with the layers believed to
hold organic compounds. Some of the samples retrieved by the robotic
arm will be heated and the resulting volatiles tested for various
characteristics.
A stereo camera, based on technology derived from the missions of
Pathfinder and Mars Exploration Rover, will be deployed on a mast
about six and a half feet tall. Revealing the geology of the landing
site, the two images will provide a high-resolution view, along with
range maps, helping to locate the best areas for digging. The
Phoenix also possess the technology to inspect the atmosphere of the
planet up to an altitude of 12.4 miles, examining clouds, fog and
dust as well as measuring temperature and atmospheric pressure. It
is hoped that the Scout Program could increase the number of landing
sites on Mars, with the next Scout mission scheduled for lift-off in
2011. The program also plans for increased international
cooperation, especially from France and Italy, and both countries
have plans to conduct joint investigations with the U.S., with other
countries also expressing interest.
Nancy Houser, author of "A Mars Odyssey," is a freelance writer and
illustrator of 30 years. Living in Central Nebraska running a dog
rescue, she fills her leisurely time with 13 grandchildren and
watching the skies.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Houser
|
