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NASA Phoenix Mission Ready For Mars Landing

Posted by kdawson on from the boulder-dodging dept.

Several readers relayed the press release from JPL about the upcoming landing of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on May 25. It's going to set down in the north polar regions and look for indications of whether conditions have ever been favorable for microbial life. "Phoenix will enter the top of the Martian atmosphere at almost 21,000 kilometers per hour... In seven minutes, the spacecraft must complete a challenging sequence of events to slow to about 8 kilometers per hour... before its three legs reach the ground. Confirmation of the landing could come as early as 7:53 p.m. EDT. 'This is not a trip to grandma's house. Putting a spacecraft safely on Mars is hard and risky,' said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. 'Internationally, fewer than half the attempts have succeeded.'"

9 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Great stuff I guess but why isn't NASA doing mo by mrbluze · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    wooh, my first fp And you wasted it by posting something sensible! Sheeesh!
    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  2. Re:Trips to grandMars' house by Thanshin · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    My same themed joke (that I latch to yours to keep an order) was:

    'This is not a trip to grandma's house. Putting a spacecraft safely on Mars is hard and risky,' said Ed Weiler, So no wolves then?
  3. Re:Great stuff I guess but why isn't NASA doing mo by Faylone · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    That's like saying you just missed your chance to to drink sulfuric acid.

  4. Oh, I thought you said ... by Rotund+Prickpull · · Score: -1, Offtopic

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  5. Re:Slow to about 8 kilometers per hour. by The+real+PoD · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Not owning a dictionary is no excuse.
    define: treble

  6. Pre-Dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I look forward to reading about it on Slashdot when posted on the 25th.

  7. Several readers by esocid · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I had no idea I was more than one person.

    --
    Absolute power corrupts absolutely. indymedia
  8. Umbrella Corporation by Timberwolf0122 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Is it me or do the solar panels on the Phoenix lander look remarkable like the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrella_CorporationUmbrella Corporation logo? What with the reputation of Mars (Ghosts of Mars, The Red Planet, Doom, that one outer limits, etc) I'm not too sure I like a resident evil probe up there....

    --
    In the not too distant future, next Sunday A.D.
  9. You insensiti:ve clod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    diseases. The series of debates arithmetic, Goal here? How cAn than make a sincere