Planetary Wonderings
May Focus: Phoenix Mars Mission
By Mary-Frances Bartels, NASA Solar System Ambassador
Have you noticed one of JPL’s newest missions in the news lately? It
is the Phoenix Mars Mission. Launched in August 2007, the PMM is
the first in NASA's Scout Program. It combines the missions of two
previous missions --- the 1998 Mars Polar Lander that crashed and
2001 Mars Survey Lander that was cancelled. This three-month
mission is to study the history of water and habitability potential in
the Martian arctic's ice-rich soil. The spacecraft will land farther north
on Mars than any previous probe.
Phoenix has much to accomplish during its short lifespan. It will collect
weather-related data such as air temperature and pressure, wind, and
humidity. Like other missions, it has a camera and will be able to take
stereo images. On the more “exotic side” it also has a robotic arm to
dig, scrape, and grind samples. Scientists expect to find an ice-rich
layer lying within inches of the surface. The craft also has a gas
analyzer and a self-contained chemistry lab complete with microscope.
On Sunday evening, May 25, 2008 , the NASA Phoenix spacecraft
will arrive at Mars. Live news briefings and commentary of the
event begins on NASA TV at 3:00 PM EDT with actual landing
coverage beginning at 6:30 PM . A briefing covering the first
collected data is scheduled for 9:30 PM . NASA TV may be
accessed via cable and satellite TV systems or online at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ .
Resource of the Month: Visit PMM’s educational website at http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/classroom.php where one can find
lesson plans, activities, and other classroom materials. An interactive
map will soon be available. Alternatively, PMM has a special site
for kids at http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/kids.php where one may
find specially composed music for Mars, artwork, and essays written
by children. Learn more about Steve the Cat’s trip to the Red Planet
or follow the travels of Phil the Phoenix bird.
Activity of the Month: Here are some trivia questions pertaining
to Mars. See how many you can answer. Research Mars and the
Phoenix mission and come up with trivia questions of your own.
- What famous story about Mars was turned into a musical?
- Who mastermined this project?
- Can you name at least five video games based, at least in
part, on exploration of Mars? - What publishing house created a Mars exploration game that
uses cardboard pieces based on real maps of the red planet? - Did you know that you can download the same software
NASA uses to control the Mars Exploration Rovers? What is its name? - How many missions to Mars have there been? How many
of these have been successful?
Suggestions, questions, and comments about “Planetary Wonderings”
are welcomed and may be directed to stargazer @ keeplookingup.net
(remove spaces). Past columns may be found at www.keeplookingup.net
(all past columns, click on “Planetary Wonderings” on the right side of
opening screen) and at http://www.freelists.org/archives/astronomyed/
(columns from Jan. 2007 to the present).
Remember to keep looking up!
Sources: Various NASA e-mails
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/mission.ph
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html
Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society
