Phoenix Mars mission passes early tests
Posted: Thu, Sep 6, 2007, 8:25 AM ET (1225 GMT)
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, launched just over a month ago, has passed a series of in-flight tests, project officials said this week. The spacecraft's landing radar and UHF radio completed a series of check-out tests in late August with no problems reported. The two items are critical for the spacecraft's safe landing: the radar will provide data on the spacecraft's final descent to the surface, while the UHF radio will relay spacecraft data to orbiting Mars spacecraft for transmission to Earth. Spacecraft operators also tested one of the spacecraft's instruments, with the rest to be checked out by mid-October. Phoenix will land on the northern polar plains of Mars on May 25, 2008.
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, launched just over a month ago, has passed a series of in-flight tests, project officials said this week. The spacecraft's landing radar and UHF radio completed a series of check-out tests in late August with no problems reported. The two items are critical for the spacecraft's safe landing: the radar will provide data on the spacecraft's final descent to the surface, while the UHF radio will relay spacecraft data to orbiting Mars spacecraft for transmission to Earth. Spacecraft operators also tested one of the spacecraft's instruments, with the rest to be checked out by mid-October. Phoenix will land on the northern polar plains of Mars on May 25, 2008.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, April 6
Space Command headquarters to move 200 employees to Alabama this year, lawsuit bristles
Colorado Springs Gazette — 5:50 am ET (0950 GMT) As Rocket Launches Increase, They May Be Polluting the Skies
Undark — 5:49 am ET (0949 GMT) SpaceX Rocket Launch Attempt Scrubbed, Team to Retry Monday
Noozhawk — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT) SpaceX Heralds New Era of Mega IPOs. Buyers Beware
Bloomberg News — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT) What’s the Point of Sending People Into Space? An Astronaut, Scientist and Journalist Debate.
New York Times — 5:45 am ET (0945 GMT) |
