Phoenix Site Options

[remcook]

did it got mentioned that the site was launched last week or so?


http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

Bob, the really big qualitative difference between Phoenix and the MERs is that the latter were designed primarily to investigate ROCKS (for which you have to travel long distances horizontally), while Phoenix is designed to investigate SOIL -- which is far more evenly mixed in the horizontal dimension.

This was a major consideration in the design of Polar Lander. I have several 1995 documents from its science definition team during their consideration of its proper payload, which stated that its single most important goal was to look at the makeup of "evenly mixed substances" on Mars -- namely, the soil and the atmosphere -- for the clues they could provide on the very-long-term climate history of Mars over its entire global extent. Rocks were described as very minor scientifically for MPL. Phoenix has exactly the same traits, except that it will place more emphasis than MPL would have on the biological habitability of the near-surface ice layer.

By the way, the science groups determining the exploration strategy for Europa have also emphasized that the need for horizontal mobility on Europa is relatively trivial -- it's vertical mobility that is of overwhelming importance there. It will be a long time before we see any Europa rover.

[Bob Shaw]

Bob, the really big qualitative difference between Phoenix and the MERs is that the latter were designed primarily to investigate ROCKS (for which you have to travel long distances horizontally), while Phoenix is designed to investigate SOIL -- which is far more evenly mixed in the horizontal dimension. 

This was a major consideration in the design of Polar Lander.  I have several 1995 documents from its science definition team during their consideration of its proper payload, which stated that its single most important goal was to look at the makeup of "evenly mixed substances" on Mars -- namely, the soil and the atmosphere -- for the clues they could provide on the very-long-term climate history of Mars over its entire global extent.  Rocks were described as very minor scientifically for MPL.  Phoenix has exactly the same traits, except that it will place more emphasis than MPL would have on the biological habitability of the near-surface ice layer.

By the way, the science groups determining the exploration strategy for Europa have also emphasized that the need for horizontal mobility on Europa is relatively trivial -- it's vertical mobility that is of overwhelming importance there.  It will be a long time before we see any Europa rover.

Bruce:

I accept all that you say, but they *would * say that, wouldn't they? © Christine Keeler 1962.

It'd still be a tragedy if, after driving miles across Gusev (etc) we're defeated by inches when Phoenix lands.

As for Europa, the icy surface is of little interest compared to the depths, but even there some horizontal discretion could be the difference between boom and bust...

Bob Shaw

[algorimancer]

As for Europa, the icy surface is of little interest compared to the depths, but even there some horizontal discretion could be the difference between boom and bust...

I suspect that dismissing the importance of roving capability on Europa will turn-out to be short-sighted. We have pretty-near zero experience on the surface of an icy satellite (barring those fuzzy pics from Titan, which isn't a conventional icy satellite). At the very least, surface ice is likely to have originated from the internal ocean, and analysing the ice could reveal evidence of organic chemistry and (perhaps) life. It may be useful to have the capability to drive a few kilometers to find more recently exposed ice, and who knows what interesting "eurology" might be encountered.