Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona  Two images of the Phoenix Mars lander taken from Martian orbit in 2008 and 2010. The 2008 lander image (left) shows two relatively blue spots on either side corresponding to the spacecraft's clean circular solar panels. In the 2010 (right) image scientists see a dark shadow that could be the lander body and eastern solar panel, but no shadow from the western solar panel. Phoenix Mars Lander Is Silent, New Image Shows DamageMay 25, 2010 NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ended operations after repeated attempts to contact the spacecraft were unsuccessful. A new image transmitted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows signs of severe ice damage to the lander's solar panels."The Phoenix spacecraft succeeded in its investigations and exceeded its planned lifetime," said Fuk Li, manager of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Although its work is finished, analysis of information from Phoenix's science activities will continue for some time to come." Last week, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter flew over the Phoenix landing site 61 times during a final attempt to communicate with the lander. No transmission from the lander was detected. Phoenix also did not communicate during 150 flights in three earlier listening campaigns this year. Read More Peer Reviewed PapersScience MagazineH2O at the Phoenix Landing SiteAbstract | Full Text Smith, Peter et al Detection of Perchlorate and the Soluble Chemistry of Martian Soil at the Phoenix Lander Site Abstract | Full Text Hecht, Michael et al Evidence for Calcium Carbonate at the Mars Phoenix Landing Site Abstract | Full Text Boynton, William et al Accompanying Science Podcast      |
 Phoenix TributeThe briefing will be carried live by NASA TV and on the Internet at: NASA TV */ ?> Mission Highlights - The Phoenix Mars Lander surpassed its original three-month mission, lasting five months in the Martian northern plains, digging up scientific 'firsts' along the way. Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech Standard (94 MB) High Definition (213 MB) Standard Podcast (26 MB) High Definition Podcast (82 MB) here. */ ?> Released DataNASA's Planetary Data System announced the third and final release of data from the mission, including raw and derived data products from Sols (Martian days) 91 through 152, or July 27 through Oct. 29, 2008.Data for imaging instruments can be viewed at the imaging node site. The release also includes atmosphere and geoscience data. The site offers a search function for browsing specific Sol summary data using the Phoenix Analyst's Notebook. The site also offers a subscription feature to keep up to date with NASA's Planetary Data System. |
The Phoenix Mission is led by Principal Investigator Peter H. Smith of The University of Arizona, supported by a science team of CO-Is, with project management at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and development partnership with Lockheed Martin Space Systems. International contributions are provided by the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus Denmark; the Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Additional information on Phoenix is online at here and here. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Additional information on NASA's Mars program is online at here.
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