Phoenix Lander Working Hard Before Summer s End on Mars: related news

Phoenix Lander Working Hard Before Summer's End on Mars

The Phoenix Mars Lander is working as fast as it can to dig and deliver as many samples as possible before the power produced by Phoenix's solar panels declines due to the end of the Martian summer. This image, from Sol 107 (Sept. 12 here on Earth), shows the lander has delivered a sample of soil from the "Snow White" trench to the Wet Chemistry Laboratory. A small pile of soil is visible on the lower edge of the second cell from the top. This deck-mounted lab is part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA).

Phoenix Lander Will Listen to the Sounds of Mars

We may be able to hear, for the first time, what it sounds like on the surface of Mars. The Phoenix Lander has a microphone on board, which will be switched on in upcoming days of operations. "This is definitely a first," said Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith. The microphone is a part of the Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) system on the underside of the lander designed to take images of Mars' surface during the lander's descent. However, the system was never used. Tests of the system during the flight to Mars revealed the possibility that using it might cause other parts of the landing system to not function correctly. But using it later wasn't ruled out. So, after updated software is sent to the lander, the microphone will be turned on.

Mission's End Approaching for Phoenix Lander

The days are getting shorter for the Phoenix Mars Lander, and as fall approaches on Mars’ northern plains, the scientists and engineers for the mission are quickly trying get as much done before power levels on the lander drop too low for any more scientific activities. In the image here, blue-ish white frost appears on Mars surface every day now as the temperatures continue to drop. This image was taken on the 131st Martian day or sol of the mission, October 7 here on Earth. Clearly visible are the interlocking polygon shapes that form in permafrost from seasonal freezes and thaws. These polygon patterns were seen in orbital pictures taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, as well as other spacecraft, and are part of the evidence that Mars' north polar region harbors large quantities of frozen water.

RIP Mars Phoenix Lander

Mars Phoenix Lander finalAfter five months of scraping and digging into the soil at a lonely spot near the Martian north pole, NASA’s Mars Phoenix Lander has finally succumbed to the cold, dark Martian winter. NASA scientists announced yesterday that they hadn’t received a communication from the lander since November 2, and pronounced the death of Phoenix.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Ceased Communications

Goodbye Phoenix Mars Lander. May be we will see you on Mars somewhere when we get there ourselves. You did a great job sending wonderful images of Mars and letting the humanity know more about the red planet. NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months.

Reveal the Mars Phoenix's Classified Discoveries With Photoshop

The Mars Phoenix said goodbye last week. It's very sad, like the end of Wall-E. Publicly, the Mars Phoenix was sent to study the planet's water history and whether it could have ever supported life. But we've all seen enough sci-fi movies involving the government to know that there's probably more to it than that, especially if Tommy Lee Jones is involved. So, use Photoshop to show us what the Mars Phoenix really discovered that the government doesn't want us to know about. Here's some Mars Phoenix images to get started.

Phoenix lander still operating on Mars

This July 31, 2008 NASA photo shows a portion of a larger panoramic photo mosaic made up of more than 400 images taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. A section of the spacecraft along with its meteorology mast, topped by the telltale wind gauge, can be seen with the bleak Mars landscape in the background. NASA has announced they will be extending the Phoenix mission until the end of September after the lander recently found evidence of water on the Martian surface. (UPI Photo/NASA)

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Guest Blogging on Giz

We'd like to introduce our newest guest blogger—the Phoenix Mars Lander. With a successful mission starting to wind down as a cold winter rapidly descends upon its landing site in the Martian arctic, we're pretty happy that Phoenix, (already a prolific Twitterer) has agreed to look back with us on its amazing life over the course of its final days on Mars. Here Phoenix starts with the very beginning of the story. We're pretty sure a spacecraft has never guest-edited a blog before. Enjoy.

Mars Lander Mission Over Says NASA

The Phoenix lander hasn't been heard from since the 2nd of November, which is believed to be due to the beginning of the Martian winter and a recent dust storm. Scientists have made efforts to re-establish contact with the spacecraft, but aren't expecting the silence to be broken. They do however, hold out hope that the lander may surprise them and will also make attempts to reactive the Phoenix once the warmth of Spring kicks in. Since the Phoenix landed on Mars on May 25th this year, it has uncovered information about the chemical composition of the soil on the red planet. NASA's next Mars mission is due to launch next summer, though could be set back until 2011.

Mars Lander Faces Slow Death

Riding with Robots writes "It's the beginning of the end for the Phoenix Mars Lander. As winter approaches in the Martian arctic, NASA says it's in a 'race against time and the elements' in its efforts to prolong the robotic spacecraft's life. Starting today, mission managers will begin to gradually shut the lander's systems down, hoping to conserve dwindling solar power and thereby extend the remaining systems' useful life. 'Originally scheduled to last 90 days, Phoenix has completed a fifth month of exploration in the Martian arctic. As expected, with the Martian northern hemisphere shifting from summer to fall, the lander is generating less power due to shorter days and fewer hours of sunlight reaching its solar panels. At the same time, the spacecraft requires more power to run several survival heaters that allow it to operate even as

Engineers Begin Shutting Down Phoenix Lander Instruments

It appears the end is nigh for the Phoenix Mars Lander. Today, engineers have begun to shut down some of the lander's instruments and heaters. But this is in hopes of extending the mission by saving power as available sunlight begins to wane with the approach of Martian autumn. But at the same time, the spacecraft requires more power to run heaters in order to survive as the temperatures decline. “If we did nothing, it wouldn’t be long before the power needed to operate the spacecraft would exceed the amount of power it generates on a daily basis,” said Phoenix Project Manager Barry Goldstein of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. “By turning off some heaters and instruments, we can extend the life of the lander by several weeks and still conduct some science.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander becomes silent

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander a moment before its 2008 touchdown on the arctic plains of Mars. Pulsed rocket engines control the spacecraft's speed during the final seconds of descent. Phoenix touched down on the Red Planet at 4:53 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53 p.m. Eastern Time), May 25, 2008, in an arctic region called Vastitas Borealis, at 68 degrees north latitude, 234 degrees east longitude. (UPI Photo/NASA/JPL-Calech/University of Arizona)

NASA declares Phoenix Mars lander dead

After months of dust storms and severe cold, NASA's Phoenix Mars lander has been declared dead by mission scientists, who celebrated the probe's success as the first to touch ice on the red planet.ice-in-martian-soil-300x245 NASA declares Phoenix Mars lander dead

Phoenix Lander Mission Ends, but Scientists Continue to Look for Signs of Life on Mars

NASA confirmed the inevitable: After landing in May and studying the Martian surface—and finding ice in the soil and snow in the air—the Phoenix Lander has gone quiet. Project science leader Peter Smith of the University of Arizona told PM yesterday that the team last received a signal from the Mars lander on Nov. 2, but since then had been trying to reach it, hoping the lander would wake up. "After a week of trying, it was getting to a point of facing reality," Smith said.

NASA declares Phoenix Mars lander dead

Washington, Nov 11: After months of dust storms and severe cold, NASA's Phoenix Mars lander has been declared dead by mission scientists, who celebrated the probe's success as the first to touch ice on the red planet. Mission managers said on Monday that Phoenix had lasted long after its planned 90 days, and they celebrated the success of the spacecraft. "It's really an Irish wake and not a funeral," said Peter Smith, Phoenix mission principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson, in a teleconference call with reporters.

NASA's Phoenix Lander stops phoning home from Mars

It was always expected to end like this. If there's anything much going on with the water currently on Mars, chances are good it's happening at the poles, so NASA directed its latest lander, the Phoenix, to that region of the planet. Unfortunately, that inevitably meant that the lander would run short on sunlight to power its solar panels once the long, cold Martian winter set in.

NASA Hearing Daily From Weak Phoenix Mars Lander

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has communicated with controllers daily since Oct. 30 through relays to Mars orbiters. Information received over the weekend indicates Phoenix is running out of power each afternoon or evening but reawakening after its solar arrays catch morning sunlight.

NASA loses contact with Phoenix Lander space probe after lack of solar power ends its life on Mars

NASA scientists have announced they can no longer communicate with the Phoenix Mars Lander and are calling an effective end to its five-month-plus mission on the Red Planet. Mission engineers last received a signal from the lander on November 2, the space agency said.

Phoenix Mars mission has ended: NASA:

The Phoenix Mars lander has gone silent because of a lack of sunlight needed to power its batteries.The Phoenix Mars lander has gone silent because of a lack of sunlight needed to power its batteries.

Phoenix Mars mission has ended: NASA

The Phoenix Mars lander has gone silent because of a lack of sunlight needed to power its batteries.The Phoenix Mars lander has gone silent because of a lack of sunlight needed to power its batteries.

Phoenix Lander May Have Been Blasted by Dust Devil

A series of images put together to form a movie of the Mars Phoenix lander's telltale instrument show the telltale waving wildly in the Martian wind. According to Phoenix scientists, movement in one image seemed to be "out-of-phase" with other images, possibly indicating a dust devil whirled nearby or even over the lander. Preliminary analysis of the images taken right before and after the passing of this possible dust devil indicates winds from the west at 7 meters per second. The image taken during the possible dust devil shows 11 meters per second wind from the south.

As Phoenix Mission Ends, Project Leaders Chart Mars Future

The Phoenix Lander, which discovered ice on Mars, is approaching the end of its life—the martian winter will soon freeze it to death. With the mission nearly over, three team leaders came to the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Conference today to look back on the Phoenix's successes, interpret its findings and discuss the future of Mars exploration.

Phoenix ready to analyze Mars soil samples

This June 2008 NASA photos show the robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander carrying a scoop full of Martian soil. NASA has announced they will be extending the Phoenix mission until the end of September after the lander recently found evidence of water on the Martian surface. (UPI Photo/NASA)

NASA Mars Lander Sees Falling Snow, Soil Data Suggests Liquid Past

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds. Spacecraft soil tests experiments also have provided evidence of past interaction between minerals and liquid water, processes that occur on Earth. A laser instrument designed to gather knowledge of how the atmosphere and surface interact on Mars, detected snow from clouds about 2.5 miles above the spacecraft's landing site. Data show the snow vaporizing before reaching the ground. "Nothing like this view has ever been seen on Mars," said Jim Whiteway, of

NASA Says Phoenix Mars Mission Has Ended

This artist's rendering provided by NASA shows the Phoenix Mars spacecraft. NASA said Monday, Nov. 10. 2008, that the Phoenix Mars mission has ended. The lander has been digging trenches and conducting science experiments since May, to study whether the environment on Mars could support primitive life. (AP Photo/NASA)

Search took 0.47 seconds.