Spring Break
NASA aims for success on mission
Mark K. Matthews - The Orlando Sentinel(MCT)
Issue date: 5/16/08 Section: Science &Technology
WASHINGTON-Mars is a dangerous place for NASA spacecraft. Twice in the last decade, they have failed to safely reach the red planet.
But NASA officials hope the aptly - named Phoenix spacecraft, set for a May 25 touchdown, can reverse the curse and provide scientists with a chance to test whether Mars could support life.
"This is no trip to grandma's for the weekend," Ed Weiler, chief of NASA's science directorate said. "There are many, many risks. But as someone once said a long time ago about NASA, we do things not because they're easy but because they're hard."
"I think we're at the mercy now of the environment and the mercy of the system," Barry Goldstein, the Phoenix project manager said. He said the probe is in near-perfect condition after its nearly 10-month, 422 million-mile journey.
If the landing is successful, the spacecraft will settle in a small valley near Mars' northern pole. Scientists chose the spot because it's flat, with few rocks that could damage the lander and because it offers the chance to study water ice near the Martian surface.
Powered by two solar arrays, Phoenix will use a robotic arm to claw at the Martian surface and scoop samples back onboard. The dirt and ice will be heated to 1,800 degrees so scientists can study which gases are released.
The aim is to find hints of organic compounds that could indicate whether the Martian surface once supported life.
For years, NASA scientists have based their search for interplanetary life on the idea that Earth-like organisms are more likely found near water. During warmer climate cycles, it is believed that ice could have thawed in the area near where Phoenix plans to land.
Phoenix carries cameras, soil analyzers and a Canadian-built weather station to measure wind, humidity and water vapor. The mission is expected to last about three months.
But first, Phoenix must land safely. A similar spacecraft, the Mars Polar Lander, crashed in 1999. Another mission that year, the Mars Climate Orbiter, was lost when it went into a too-low orbit because builders confused metric and English units of measure.
"Mars has been known to cause trouble," Weiler acknowledged.
Unlike the Mars rovers-which safely landed in 2004 and are still sending back data-Phoenix won't have airbags to cushion its fall. Instead, it will use thrusters to slow its descent and touch down on extended legs.
That's not been done since 1976, when NASA successfully landed two Viking spacecraft. "So it has been 32 years since NASA has been successful in such a landing," Weiler said.
The Phoenix mission is the first is a string of high-profile science missions planned for the next few months.
But NASA officials hope the aptly - named Phoenix spacecraft, set for a May 25 touchdown, can reverse the curse and provide scientists with a chance to test whether Mars could support life.
"This is no trip to grandma's for the weekend," Ed Weiler, chief of NASA's science directorate said. "There are many, many risks. But as someone once said a long time ago about NASA, we do things not because they're easy but because they're hard."
"I think we're at the mercy now of the environment and the mercy of the system," Barry Goldstein, the Phoenix project manager said. He said the probe is in near-perfect condition after its nearly 10-month, 422 million-mile journey.
If the landing is successful, the spacecraft will settle in a small valley near Mars' northern pole. Scientists chose the spot because it's flat, with few rocks that could damage the lander and because it offers the chance to study water ice near the Martian surface.
Powered by two solar arrays, Phoenix will use a robotic arm to claw at the Martian surface and scoop samples back onboard. The dirt and ice will be heated to 1,800 degrees so scientists can study which gases are released.
The aim is to find hints of organic compounds that could indicate whether the Martian surface once supported life.
For years, NASA scientists have based their search for interplanetary life on the idea that Earth-like organisms are more likely found near water. During warmer climate cycles, it is believed that ice could have thawed in the area near where Phoenix plans to land.
Phoenix carries cameras, soil analyzers and a Canadian-built weather station to measure wind, humidity and water vapor. The mission is expected to last about three months.
But first, Phoenix must land safely. A similar spacecraft, the Mars Polar Lander, crashed in 1999. Another mission that year, the Mars Climate Orbiter, was lost when it went into a too-low orbit because builders confused metric and English units of measure.
"Mars has been known to cause trouble," Weiler acknowledged.
Unlike the Mars rovers-which safely landed in 2004 and are still sending back data-Phoenix won't have airbags to cushion its fall. Instead, it will use thrusters to slow its descent and touch down on extended legs.
That's not been done since 1976, when NASA successfully landed two Viking spacecraft. "So it has been 32 years since NASA has been successful in such a landing," Weiler said.
The Phoenix mission is the first is a string of high-profile science missions planned for the next few months.
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