|
|
U.S. Phoenix Mars lander lifts off on Mars Arctic expedition (2) |
 |
+ |
- |
10:54, August 05, 2007 |
As of the newest Mars lander, Phoenix''s assignment is to dig through the Martian soil and ice in the arctic region and use its onboard scientific instruments to analyze the samples it retrieves.
Like its namesake mythological bird, Phoenix rises from remnants of its predecessors. It uses many components of a spacecraft originally built for a 2001 Mars lander mission, which was kept in careful storage after that mission was cancelled. The science payload for Phoenix includes instruments built for the 2001 lander and improved versions of others flown on the lost Mars Polar Lander in 1999.
Also, Phoenix is the first project from NASA''s Scout program, a low-cost complement to pricier Mars missions in orbit and on the surface. With the 420-million-dollar mission, NASA hope Phoenix to dig out clues of water and even environment suitable for life at Martian pole, following the agency''s "seeking water" strategy on Mars exploration.
If all goes according to schedule, the three-legged Phoenix should land on Mars in late May 2008. It will land in icy soils near the north polar permanent ice cap at a Martian latitude equivalent to northern Alaska on Earth.
However, landing is the biggest challenge any Mars probe should face. Of the 15 global attempts to land spacecraft on Mars, only five have made it.
[1] [2] [3]
|
|
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article