From Ashes to Eternity: the Phoenix Mars Mission
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00-PhoenixLiftoff.jpgThe beginning...76 visiteCaption NASA:"Can Mars sustain life? To help answer this question, last week NASA launched the Phoenix Mission to Mars. In May 2008, Phoenix is expected to land in an unexplored North Polar Region of Mars that is rich in water-ice. Although Phoenix cannot move, it can deploy its cameras, robotic arm, and a small chemistry laboratory to inspect, dig, and chemically analyze its landing area. One hope is that Phoenix will be able to discern telling clues to the history of ice and water on Mars. Phoenix is also poised to explore the boundary between ice and soil in hopes of finding clues of a habitable zone there that could support microbial life.
Phoenix has a planned lifetime of 3 months on the Martian surface".MareKromium
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000-Phoenix_Logo.jpgThe Phoenix Mars Lander Logo54 visiteThe Phoenix, a fabulous mythical bird the size of an eagle, symbolizes rebirth in many ancient cultures. According to the ancient Greeks, the bird lives in Arabia, nearby a cool well and sings a beautiful morning song. The Phoenix lives 500 years or longer with only one Phoenix existing at a time.
When the bird's death approaches, it bursts into flames, and a new bird springs from the consumed pyre.
Similar to its namesake, the Phoenix Mission "raises from the ashes" a spacecraft and instruments from 2 previous unsuccessful attempts to explore Mars: the Mars Polar Lander and the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander. The Mars Polar Lander failed to return data upon its arrival to Mars' antarctic region on December 3, 1999 and left many ambitious science goals undone. Phoenix uses 3 instruments from this earlier Polar Lander, the SSI, the RA and the TEGA.
The Phoenix Mission uses the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, built in 2000, but later administratively mothballed. The '01 lander is undergoing modifications to improve the spacecraft's robustness and safety during entry, descent, and landing. Phoenix recovers two instruments delivered for the '01 lander that have been in protected storage: the MARDI and the MECA. Also, the RA has been modified from the '01 lander version.
MareKromium
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A-Phoenix-000.jpgThe (fully assembled) Phoenix Mars Lander53 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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A-Phoenix-001.jpgThe Phoenix Lander: Hot-Fire Test Mock-Up53 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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A-Phoenix-002-0.jpgOne, Two, Three...TESTING!53 visiteL'inequivocabile presenza di un microfono, accanto ad una delle Camere di cui è dotata la Sonda Phoenix, ci suggerisce ancora nuovi ed interessanti scenari: gli Amici di Pasadena non vogliono solo fotografie ed esperimenti di "cottura" (ammesso che si riesca a farli, prima o poi...): loro vogliono anche "suoni" da Marte!
Quali? Forse il vento... Forse anche altre cose.
Ottimo l'Occhio del Dr Faccin e notevole l'intuizione dello STAFF di Lunexit quando, alcuni mesi fa, abbiamo pensato che l'idea di un "Audio-File" da Marte potesse anche essere una buona idea.
E se lo è, allora Phoenix NON ha l'esclusiva del suono...Credeteci!MareKromium
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A-Phoenix-002.jpgThe Phoenix Lander and its Solar Panels in the "Clean Room"60 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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A-Phoenix-003A.jpgThe Road to Mars53 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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A-Phoenix-003B.jpgThe Landing Phase: inside the Martian Atmosphere (Entry Phase)55 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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A-Phoenix-004.jpgThe Landing Phase: Parachute and Landing "Nest"61 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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A-Phoenix-005.jpgThe Landing Phase: the powered Landing on Mars55 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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A-Phoenix-006.jpgLooking at the Twilights...54 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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B-PIA09944.jpgFar-Northern Destination for Phoenix Mars Lander54 visiteCaption NASA:"The planned Landing Site for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander lies at a latitude on Mars equivalent to Northern Alaska on Earth. It is within the region designated "D" on this global image.
This is an orthographic projection with color-coded elevation contours and shaded relief based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter. Total vertical relief is about 28 Km (about 17 miles) from the top of the highest volcano (red) to the Northern Lowlands (blue).
North Pole is where the longitude lines converge".MareKromium
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