Phoenix mission ready for Mars landing

Published: May 13, 2008 at 1:00 PM
NASA EXPLORER, PHOENIX, TO LAUNCH TO MARS

PASADENA, Calif., May 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says its Phoenix Lander is preparing to land on Mars and begin a three-month mission to examine the planet's soil and buried ice.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the lander is scheduled to touch down May 25 on Mars.

"This is not a trip to grandma's house," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Internationally, fewer than half (of similar) attempts have succeeded."

The space agency said Phoenix will enter the Martian atmosphere at nearly 13,000 mph. In seven minutes, the spacecraft must slow to about 5 mph before its three legs reach the ground. Confirmation of the landing could come as early as 7:53 p.m. EDT May 25, NASA said.

"The Phoenix mission not only studies the northern permafrost region but takes the next step in Mars exploration by determining whether this region, which may encompass as much as 25 percent of the Martian surface, is habitable," said Peter Smith, Phoenix principal investigator at the University of Arizona.

The Phoenix mission is led by Smith, with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory responsible for its management.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
BA and Iberia move close to a deal (5 min)
Leukemia med may also fight ovarian cancer (6 min)
Eye response may reveal autism (6 min)
Neurological disease drug target found? (12 min)
Oil supplies rise in week (22 min)
CDC: Highest rate of smoking in W. Va. (30 min)
Climate change, California droughts linked (34 min)
fark
Woman wins $1M McDonalds Monopoly prize. Plans to use winnings on new house, car, angioplasty
You went full North by Northwest, dude. Never go full North by Northwest
Not news: ex-soldier finds a gun in his garden - Still not news: man hands gun into police - Fark:...
Bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie yeah, Bow wow yippie yo yippie yeah (c)
Welcome to the internet, where men are men, women are men, and that 14 year old girl you're propositioning...
Using only a cell phone and a pelican, man turns his $2 Million Bugatti into a submarine