   #copyright

Phoenix (spacecraft)

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Space transport

   Conceptual drawing
   Enlarge
   Conceptual drawing

   The Phoenix is a planned multi-agency Mars lander, headed by the
   University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, under the
   direction of NASA, scheduled to launch on August 3, 2007. It is a
   partnership of universities, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the
   aerospace industry. Phoenix is scheduled to land in May 2008 in the
   planet's water-ice-rich northern polar region. It will dig its robotic
   arm into the arctic terrain searching for information on the history of
   water, and search for environments suitable for microbial life on Mars.

History

   In August 2003 NASA selected the University of Arizona "Phoenix"
   mission for launch in 2007 as what is hoped will be the first in a new
   line of smaller, low-cost, " Scout" missions in the agency's
   exploration of Mars program. The selection was the result of an intense
   two-year competition with proposals from other institutions. The $325
   million NASA award is more than six times larger than any other single
   research grant in University of Arizona history.

   Dr. Peter H. Smith of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary
   Laboratory, was selected to lead the mission as Principal Investigator.
   The mission was named after the Phoenix, a mythological bird that is
   repeatedly reborn of ashes. Like the mythological bird, the 2007
   Phoenix contains several previously built components. The lander used
   for the 2007 mission is the modified Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander
   (cancelled in 2000), along with several of the instruments from both
   that and the previous polar lander mission. Lockheed Martin had kept
   the nearly-complete lander in environmentally-controlled storage since
   2001.

   Phoenix is a partnership of universities, NASA centers, and the
   aerospace industry. The science instruments and operations will be a
   University of Arizona responsibility. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
   in Pasadena, California, will manage the project and provide mission
   design and control. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, Colorado,
   will build and test the spacecraft. The Canadian Space Agency will
   provide a meteorological station, including an innovative laser-based
   atmospheric sensor. The Co-Investigator institutions include Malin
   Space Science Systems, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research,
   NASA Ames Research Centre, NASA Johnson Space Centre, Optech
   Incorporated, SETI Institute, Texas A&M University, Tufts University,
   University of Colorado, University of Michigan, University of Neuchâtel
   in Switzerland, University of Texas at Dallas, University of
   Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, and York University.

   On June 2, 2005, following a critical review of the project's planning
   progress and preliminary design, NASA approved the mission to proceed
   as planned. The purpose of the review was to confirm NASA's confidence
   in the mission.

Mission

   The mission has two goals. One is to study the geologic history of
   water, the key to unlocking the story of past climate change. The
   second is to search for evidence of a habitable zone that may exist in
   the ice-soil boundary, the "biological paydirt." The Phoenix's
   instruments are suitable for uncovering information on the geological
   and possibly biological history of the martian arctic. Because the
   Phoenix will be the first mission to return data from either of the
   poles, it will contribute to NASA's main strategy for Mars exploration,
   "Follow the water".

   The spacecraft will be launched by a Boeing Delta 7925 vehicle, with
   the launch window starting August 3, 2007. After ten months in transit,
   Phoenix would land in May 2008 and begin a 90- sol primary
   mission—although it will likely continue to operate much longer.

Scientific payload

   It will carry improved versions of University of Arizona panoramic
   cameras and volatiles-analysis instrument from the ill-fated Mars Polar
   Lander, as well as experiments that had been built for the Mars
   Surveyor 2001 Lander, including a JPL trench-digging robot arm and a
   chemistry-microscopy instrument. The science payload also includes a
   descent imager and a suite of meteorological instruments.

Robotic Arm (RA)

   The Robotic Arm is designed to extend 2.35m from its base on the
   lander, and have the ability to trench up to half a meter below the
   surface. It will take samples of dirt and water-ice that will be
   analyzed with other instruments on the lander. The arm was designed and
   built for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory by Alliance Spacesystems, LLC
   in Pasadena California. Alliance has delivered both the engineering
   model and flight versions of the arm to JPL for testing and
   integration.

Robotic Arm Camera (RAC)

   The Robotic Arm Camera will be attached to the Robotic Arm, just above
   the scoop. It will be a full-colour camera, which will be able to take
   pictures of the area, as well as verify the samples that the scoop will
   return, and will be able to examine the grains of the area where the
   Robotic Arm has just dug up. The camera is being made by the University
   of Arizona and Max Planck Institute, Germany.

Surface Stereo Imager (SSI)

   The Surface Stereo Imager will be the primary camera on the spacecraft.
   It is a stereo camera that is described as "a higher resolution upgrade
   of the imager used for Mars Pathfinder and the Mars Polar Lander". It
   is expected to take many stereo images of the Martian Arctic. It will
   also be able, using the Sun as a reference, to measure the atmospheric
   distortion of the Martian atmosphere due to dust and air and other
   features. The camera is being provided by the University of Arizona in
   colaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research.

Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA)

   TEGA is a combination of a high-temperature furnace with a mass
   spectrometer. It will be used to bake samples of Martian dust, and
   determine the content of this dust. It has 8 different ovens, each
   about the size of a large ball-point pen, which will be able to analyze
   one sample each, for a total of 8 different samples. Team members can
   measure how much water vapor and carbon dioxide gas are given off, how
   much water-ice the samples contain, and what minerals are present that
   may have formed during a wetter, warmer past climate. The instrument
   will also be capable of measuring any organic volatiles, up to 10 ppb.
   TEGA is being built by the University of Arizona and University of
   Texas at Dallas.

Mars Descent Imager (MARDI)

   The Mars Descent Imager will be used to take pictures of the Martian
   soil as the lander descends. It will begin to take pictures after the
   aeroshell departs, about 5 miles above the Martian soil. These images
   will also help to pinpoint exactly where the lander has landed. It will
   be used to take pictures of the landing site, which will be used to
   find potential targets. It will also be used to learn if the area where
   the lander lands is typical of the surrounding terrain. It is being
   built by Malin Space Science Systems.

   MARDI will be the lightest camera ever to land on Mars, as well as the
   most efficient. It only uses 3 watts of power during the imaging
   process, as compared to the many watts used by most other space
   cameras.

Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA)

   MECA is a combination of a wet chemistry lab, optical and atomic force
   microscope, and a thermal and electrical conductivity probe. It is
   being built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,

   Using this instrument, researchers will examine soil particles as small
   as 16 micrometres across. They will measure electrical and thermal
   conductivity of soil particles using a probe on the robotic arm scoop.
   One of the most interesting experiments is the wet chemistry
   laboratory.

   The robotic arm will scoop up some soil, put it in one of four wet
   chemistry lab cells, where water will be added, and while stirring, an
   array of electrochemical sensors will measure a dozen dissolved ions
   such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, and sulfate in the water, that have
   leached out from the soil. This is important, because it will give us
   information as the biological compatibility of the soil, both for
   possible indigenous mirobes and for future Earth visitors. Sensors will
   also measure the pH and conductivity of the soil-water mixture, telling
   us if the wet soil is super acidic or alkaline and salty, or full of
   oxidants that can destroy life.

Meteorological Station (MET)

   MET will record the daily weather during the course of the Phoenix
   Mission. It is equipped with a variety of temperature and pressure
   sensors to do so. It is also equipped with LIDAR, or Laser Imaging
   Detection and Ranging, which will be used to find the amount and number
   of dust particles in the air. It is being built by the Canadian Space
   Agency.

Engineering information

   The Phoenix Lander is being built by Lockheed Martin. Most of its parts
   were built for the cancelled Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander. It was then
   locked away in a clean room for several years, until the mission was
   funded by the NASA scout program.

   While many of the parts are being used from the previous spacecraft,
   many are being updated. The lander contains the following subsystems:
    1. A computer system for commanding the spacecraft and handling data
    2. An electrical system containing solar arrays and batteries
    3. A telecommunications system that can communicate directly with
       earth, as well as Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
    4. A sophisticated guidance system to ensure the spacecraft will land
       successfully
    5. A propulsion system to land safely consisting of 6 hydrazine
       engines.
    6. The structure of the spacecraft
    7. Several mechanical systems to move parts of the spacecraft
    8. A sophisticated thermo-control system to ensure the spacecraft does
       not get too cold.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_%28spacecraft%29"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
