Phoenix - End of Mission Options

[Deimos]

NASA Teleconference Today about Status of Phoenix Mars Lander

WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EST today, Monday, Nov. 10, to discuss the status of the Phoenix Mars Lander. Phoenix has been operating on the Red Planet for more than five months.

Participants will be:
-- Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
-- Peter Smith, Phoenix principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson
-- Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio.

[James Sorenson]

I asked this question awhile ago, but I dont think It got answered. Im wondering if there has ever been any observation's done with any of the orbiters of the phoenix landing site, or close of past seasonal ice buildup in the winter?. I have yet to find any images of that.

[Fran Ontanaya]

There's one HiRISE image labeled "Phoenix Landing Site Nighttime Photometry" with phase angle 92.7º:
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_009284_2915

And, all these images are around Phoenix Landing Site:
http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/geographikos...=233&q4=235

I.e.: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_007418_2485

[Vultur]

I can never keep the Martian seasons straight - is it almost a year till the sun rises again and we can see the ice buildup?

[01101001]

I can never keep the Martian seasons straight - is it almost a year till the sun rises again and we can see the ice buildup?

The press-release image, Declining sunlight for Phoenix lander graphs over a few Earth years, showing the hours of sunlight, and noting Phoenix-mission sol numbers, and a few earth dates.

First sunlight looks to come about mission sol 400, middle of the ice encasement. I don't know when there'd actually be enough light at the right time to image the ice from orbit. It's about a year from now when Phoenix will be in vernal equinox and encasement will be waning.

[BrianL]

Just wait for a full moon from Deimos or Phobos to brighten things up.

[nprev]

...nice thought, but I don't think that they're even ever visible from Phoenix's location.

[AndyG]

They are (just) visible - Deimos up to about 14 degrees above the horizon, Phobos about 1 degree.

Andy

[Stu]

Beautiful Phoenix model on display at JPL...

http://phoenixpics.wordpress.com/2008/11/2...y-i-met-phoenix

[fredk]

NASA Finishes Listening For Phoenix Mars Lander.

Rest in peace.

[djellison]

This marks the first time that communications have ended with a successful lander since the demise of Pathfinder, 10 years ago. Astonishing.

[dvandorn]

Even more astonishing is the possibility (small, I know) that Phoenix may not be permanently dead. There is always the Lazarus mode -- we may hear from her again in the Martian spring.

Mind you, I don't expect Phoenix to survive the winter. But there is a chance. If we do hear from her again, it's going to be an amazing day here at UMSF.

-the other Doug

[Hungry4info]

If I recall correctly, when Phoenix is encased in ice, it's electronics will become extremely brittle and prone to cracking. If the electronics crack, Phoenix is irreparably dead. If Phoenix somehow survives, I'll be very delighted! (though I don't expect it).

[vikingmars]

Here are 2 hi-res pics of Phoenix hardware on the Martian surface, made of summarizing L/R pics to gain some details : sol 111 for the heatshield and sol 114 for the backshell. Enjoy

[bgarlick]

I was thinking about all the different scales at which Phoenix observed Mars (main camer, robotic arm camera, optical microscope, atomic force microscope) so I put together this very crude sketch of a video.

Maybe someone who knows what they are doing could take this idea and make a very cool zoom video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2DDFEfXujM

[Stu]

Found this excellent article...

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081210/ful...html?s=news_rss

Very good stuff...