Countdown to Mars landing...
By santuccie
@santuccie (3384)
United States
May 25, 2008 7:18am CST
5/25/2008: If you are interested in science, you might like to know that the Phoenix Mars Lander is scheduled to land on the Martian north pole today: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j1hvRUNc9W-3lupLU6TLQtR0gdRAD90SL5I80 If you want to track the landing countdown with me, you can do so right here: http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/
My grandfather worked at Lockheed for 34 years; his team built part of the "Little Black Box" in HST. When I was a boy, I used to take twilight walks around the block with him, and pick his brain about outer space. This stuff has always been fascinating to me. I should have been in bed hours ago, but I'm like a child who knows he's going to Disneyland tomorrow. I'm just too excited!
1 person likes this
3 responses
@headhunter525 (3548)
• India
25 May 08
Read about it in the paper. And I read that it's gonna search for water primarily. Isn't it? It would be nice if it can trace water.
1 person likes this
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
25 May 08
Primarily, the Phoenix will be looking for signs of life on Mars. I think they said that the ice shouldn't be much more than a foot beneath the surface.
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
26 May 08
Touchdown successful!!! Now we have to wait for further communication and.........images!
@headhunter525 (3548)
• India
27 May 08
Saw the picture this morning in the paper...
1 person likes this
@aimeesnyder (57)
• United States
26 May 08
Sitting and watching it as I myLot. So exciting! As a child I loved space exploration things, but I haven't been too interested in it as of late. Since I live only a day trip from Canaveral I should try to catch the next launch...
1 person likes this
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
26 May 08
Touchdown successful!!! Now we have to wait for further communication and.........images!
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
8 Jun 08
I've got an update, please check my response to discussion.
1 person likes this
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
8 Jun 08
So far the lander didn't acquire the soil sample, or at least one thats suitable for study by the onboard computer. Apparently the soil was too clumped together for study.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN0438666420080607
Oh and while it should be obvious, I'm also an observer when it comes to science and technology... also started when I was a kid too.
1 person likes this
@santuccie (3384)
• United States
8 Jun 08
Yah, hopefully they'll be able to break it up or something. These past couple of weeks have been anxious to say the least. Of course the seven minutes of terror was by far the worst of it; but then you have "minor" details such as the protective covering for the robotic arm not coming all the way off, the short circuit, and now this. Keep up them prayers!
