NASA Hopes 'Phoenix' Rises From Ashes Of Past Mars Failures | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-10.28.24

Airborne-NextGen-10.29.24

Airborne-Unlimited-10.30.24

Airborne-Unlimited-10.24.24

Airborne-Unlimited-10.25.24

Thu, May 03, 2007

NASA Hopes 'Phoenix' Rises From Ashes Of Past Mars Failures

Third Probe Set For August Launch

The University of Arizona in Tucson is preparing to launch a Mars probe in August, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center... and the craft will have much to prove. Mars missions have held more than their share of disappointments lately.

The $386 million mission will attempt to drill the surface of the Martian polar region, looking for signs of water and life. First, however, it must complete a successful launch... and survive its 10-month journey to the red planet.

Then, it must land and avoid shutting off its rocket engines 130 feet above the ground, like 1999's Mars Polar Lander did. The resulting crash destroyed that probe, and halted NASA's 2001 Mars Surveyor program.

In the hopes the new probe will be a success, it has been named Phoenix... after the mythical bird which dies in a fire, but is reborn from the ashes. But there will be nothing hot about the existence of this Phoenix.

NASA states the polar ice caps of Mars are so cold they're actually made of dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide. Phoenix is expected to operate for about five months before it succumbs to temperatures of minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Phoenix is scheduled to blast off August 3... six years later than originally planned.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/phoenix_water.html

Advertisement

More News

Senator Pushes FAA to Accelerate Rocket Launch Licensing

States That Current Process is Damaging National Aerospace Development US Senator Jerry Morgan is pushing the FAA to speed up the process for rocket launch licensing. He argues tha>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: RJ Gritter - Part of Aviation’s Bright New Future

From 2015 (YouTube Edition): Model Aviator Aims For Full-Scale Career While at the 2015 Indoor Electric RC Festival, referred to as eFest, ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell>[...]

Aero-FAQ: Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories -- ITBOA BNITBOB

Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories ITBOA BNITBOB ... what does that mean? It's not gibberish, it's a lengthy acronym for "In The Business Of Aviation ... But Not In The Busine>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (10.27.24)

Aero Linx: Cardinal Flyers Online The Cardinal Flyers Online Web site was created and is maintained by me, Keith Peterson. My wife Debbie and I have owned a 1976 RG since 1985. Wit>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.27.24): Clearance Void If Not Off By (Time)

Clearance Void If Not Off By (Time) Used by ATC to advise an aircraft that the departure release is automatically canceled if takeoff is not made prior to a specified time. The exp>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC