Space Post - Good luck Phoenix tonight!

[Neil]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7411113.stm

[p2501]

She's down, live and sending back Telemetry.

Ohh -****ing-Rah.

http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/status.html


It's moments like this that renew my faith in us as a whole, and that we can accomplish the impossible.

[capncnut]

She's down, live and sending back Telemetry.
Thanks for the link, man. :hyper:


It's moments like this that renew my faith in us as a whole, and that we can accomplish the impossible.
Well said. Now let's blow this thing and go home! :D

[Mike70]

ah, spaceflightnow.com one of the best space exploration sites on the net.

here is one of the first pics phoenix sent back.


http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/images/color1.jpg

[mista_mo]

I love the swirl in the martian soil..

but this is exciting as can be, and i cannot wait for more images/videos to return to us.

[Tricky]

http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/res/140.$plit/C_71_article_1027747_image_list_image_list_item_5_ image.jpg

ULLAAAAAAHHHHH! :p

[capncnut]

http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/res/140.$plit/C_71_article_1027747_image_list_image_list_item_5_ image.jpg

ULLAAAAAAHHHHH! :p
I wonder if the Red Weed is smokeable?

[p2501]

Ran across this a little bit ago,


http://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/misc/HiRISE_PHX_Lander.png


This amazing photo shows the Phoenix lander, still protected inside its backshell and heat shield, stretched out below its parachute (at the top of the image). It was taken by the HiRISE camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as Phoenix descended, a speeding bullet photographed by a speeding bullet. Credit: NASA / JPL / U. Arizona

http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001464/

[Mike70]

--exhales bong hit--

like wow, man that is awesome.


on a serious note:

MRO is going to try and image the actual landing site here in the next little bit. should be really cool if it can actually capture some pics of phoenix on the surface.

[bassman]

My buddy and I were watching this "live" on Sunday and had a $20 bet as to whether it would land safely or crash like the last one(99?). I bet it would make it.:cool:

I look forward to seeing what pictures/info it gathers.

[Mike70]

for those of you interested here is the phoenix homepage at the univ of arizona:

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


here is a pic that MRO took of the landing site:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/images/080527descenthardware.jpg

[Tricky]

its cool that they've landed a probe on mars & got those pictures,but it looks like one hell of a boring planet!its a huge anti-climax considering the legend & folklore surrounding the planet over the centuries,from it being a symbol of war in ancient times,right up to those pictures supposedly showing a face on its surface a few years back!it will probably be full of minerals that will eventually end up being mined or whatever in the distant future & other stuff that will have scientists creaming for a while,but it doesnt look a very exciting place!:rockbrow:

[Neil]

Ice already found? http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/images/press/20080531.html

http://www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/ice-under-full.jpg

[capncnut]

Yup Neil, I don't think it's gonna be long until we get some crazy announcement from NASA...

[Neil]

I don't think it's gonna be long until we get some crazy announcement from NASA...

What like, 'The fish is in the toaster!'?

[capncnut]

What like, 'The fish is in the toaster!'?
Yeah, something along those lines. :D

[Neil]

Another image potentially showing ice...

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/images/080602scoop.jpg

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/080602update.html

[Neil]

Uh oh!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7442233.stm

[Tricky]

I know this is probably a stupid question,but im not educated in this field so forgive me!how the hell are they managing to control that thing considering the massive distance between mars & earth?my dad has a £4000 radio control tank which does all sorts but if you drive it more than about 30-40 metres from where your standing it loses signal & stops so you have to stay in range,so they must have one hell of a transmitter to be carrying out all the complex operations the mars buggy is doing 56 million kilometers away!:stunned:

[Neil]

I know this is probably a stupid question,but im not educated in this field so forgive me!how the hell are they managing to control that thing considering the massive distance between mars & earth?my dad has a £4000 radio control tank which does all sorts but if you drive it more than about 30-40 metres from where your standing it loses signal & stops so you have to stay in range,so they must have one hell of a transmitter to be carrying out all the complex operations the mars buggy is doing 56 million kilometers away!:stunned:

Clever programming! Remember a transmission to/from it takes 10-15 mins to cover the distance! Every command will be carefully considered, considered and re-considered :)

[Terran]

Clever programming! Remember a transmission to/from it takes 10-15 mins to cover the distance! Every command will be carefully considered, considered and re-considered :)

Slowpokes :moon:

[p2501]

Slowpokes :moon:

the service is carried through Sprint, so really they are doing the best they can.

[Mike70]

Uh oh!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7442233.stm

seems like that has all been sorted out and the first oven is full and ready to go. bumps in the road like this are bound to happen, luckily the oven screens came equipped with devices to shake them back and forth.

http://www.astronomynow.com/080612Anovenfullofsand.html

[Neil]

seems like that has all been sorted out and the first oven is full and ready to go. bumps in the road like this are bound to happen, luckily the oven screens came equipped with devices to shake them back and forth.

http://www.astronomynow.com/080612Anovenfullofsand.html

Fingers crossed for some interesting 'baking'...

[Mike70]

I know this is probably a stupid question,but im not educated in this field so forgive me!how the hell are they managing to control that thing considering the massive distance between mars & earth?my dad has a £4000 radio control tank which does all sorts but if you drive it more than about 30-40 metres from where your standing it loses signal & stops so you have to stay in range,so they must have one hell of a transmitter to be carrying out all the complex operations the mars buggy is doing 56 million kilometers away!:stunned:

simplest answer is that radios used in spacecraft transmit signals using microwaves (UHF, VHF or EHF). the phoenix lander to has send signals through a relay station (either the mars odyssey or the mars recon orbiter) which then retransmit it to earth using their more powerful microwave transmitters.

[Neil]

seems like that has all been sorted out and the first oven is full and ready to go. bumps in the road like this are bound to happen, luckily the oven screens came equipped with devices to shake them back and forth.

http://www.astronomynow.com/080612Anovenfullofsand.html

No results yet?

[Neil]

Still no results?

[Mike70]

Still no results?

i read today at the phoenix homepage that the experiment is still underway. it involves baking at 3 different temp ranges. i also expect that the large amount of data returned will take some sifting through before any results are announced.

[Neil]

Well that was all a bit easy :) One quick dig in the sand, and Bingo! Bango! :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7465419.stm
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/080620ice.html

[Mike70]

yes very interesting. ice that near the surface is good news indeed. this is going to be an interesting mission for sure.

also the initial results from the ovens are in. this data is from only 2 of the 3 baking points and like the article says is probably not representative anymore of what is in the soil since it sat for several days before the experiment started.

http://www.astronomynow.com/080617FirstresultsfromPhoenixbakery.html

[Neil]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7465419.stm

[Mike70]

big, big, big discovery by the phoenix lander just announced today.

turns out the soil on mars is alkaline (meaning it is conducive to plant growth).


here is a snippet:


Although he said further tests would have to be conducted, Mr Kounaves said the soil seemed "very friendly… there is nothing about it that is toxic," he said.


"It is the type of soil you would probably have in your back yard - you know, alkaline. You might be able to grow asparagus in it really well."

As well as being far less acidic than anticipated, the soil was also found to contain traces of magnesium, sodium, potassium and other elements.
full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7477310.stm

[Neil]

big, big, big discovery by the phoenix lander just announced today.

turns out the soil on mars is alkaline (meaning it is conducive to plant growth).


here is a snippet:


full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7477310.stm

So could be used in hydroponic tents then :)

[Danny]

next, send something with seeds and a water tank, see what happens.

[Mike70]

next, send something with seeds and a water tank, see what happens.

that would be an extremely interesting experiement to conduct on some future mission.

i'd be all for spending some cash to see what might happen.

[Danny]

maybe theyd adapt and mutate or somethi-

HOLY **** ,TRIFFIDS!, DONT DO IT!!!!

[Neil]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/080715rasp.html

Let's hope they can get the ice into the oven quick enough so it doesn't evapourate...

[Neil]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/080728sticky.html

Bet they're kicking themselves at the design of the scoop now! They've obviously designed it in such a way that 'clumpy' soil sticks/wedges in there!

They really needed a little optional unit to push thru the scoopy and push the contents out...

[Neil]

Bingo bango! Water confirmed!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7536123.stm
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/080731water.html

Right! Let's get the terraformer units over there!

[Mike70]

Bingo bango! Water confirmed!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7536123.stm
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/phoenix/080731water.html

Right! Let's get the terraformer units over there!

you know, you being 5 hours ahead of me has stolen most of my space thunder.:moon:

very, very interesting news. i am anxiously awaiting the final results (which could takes weeks) to see if there are any organics mixed in with that water. that'd be the biggest space news in a long, long time.

[capncnut]

Well the next month is going to be intriguing while we wait for the data to be analysed. Also if they can prove that the water has the basic elements for lifeforms then wow! :stunned:

I'm glad they are extending the mission for another 90 days (maybe longer), it seems ol' NASA are hitting the jackpot lately.

[Neil]

I nice shot of ground frost that forms overnight...

http://astronomynow.com/images/080826ph3.jpg

[Neil]

Clouds on mars :)

http://uanews.org/system/files/images/15777.preview.gif

[Neil]

It's dead :(

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0811/10phoenix/index2.html

[capncnut]

Yeah what a shame, it started effing up a couple of weeks ago and apparently there's some kind battery failure going on.

But hey, there's still a few operational thingymabots going on and a nice list of future missions to look forward to.

[Neil]

We need that probe to go into the seas on Europa!

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080209_europa.htm


Before I die I want that probe to land there, and for us to see the fins of things swimming by!

[capncnut]

I would like to see a Europa mission but I think the budget would be a little too much. It's not just a flyby or a simple landing, it's a probe that has to survive radiation, deep freeze, remain thermal for a long period of time and still be able to send back messages and images. You might well be 60 years of age before you even see a projected launch date.

[Mike70]

Yeah what a shame, it started effing up a couple of weeks ago and apparently there's some kind battery failure going on.

But hey, there's still a few operational thingymabots going on and a nice list of future missions to look forward to.

that was anticipated to happen from the beginning. phoenix was in the north polar region, using sunlight to recharge its batteries. just like on earth the amount of sunlight drastically decreases as winter progresses. no sunlight, no recharge.