NASA's Phoenix Lander Robotic Arm Camera Sees Possible Ice

TUCSON, Ariz.-- Scientists have discovered what may be ice that was exposed when soil was blown away as NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed on Mars last Sunday, May 25. The possible ice appears in an image the robotic arm camera took underneath the lander, near a footpad.

"We could very well be seeing rock, or we could be seeing exposed ice in the retrorocket blast zone," said Ray Arvidson of Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., co-investigator for the robotic arm. "We'll test the two ideas by getting more data, including color data, from the robotic arm camera. We think that if the hard features are ice, they will become brighter because atmospheric water vapor will collect as new frost on the ice.


As seen in the top center of this image from
Phoenix, the exhaust from the descent engine has
blown soil off to reveal either rock or ice, which
has not yet been determined.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Calech/University of
Arizona

"Full confirmation of what we're seeing will come when we excavate and analyze layers in the nearby workspace," Arvidson said.

Testing last night of a Phoenix instrument that bakes and sniffs samples to identify ingredients identified a possible short circuit. This prompted commands for diagnostic steps to be developed and sent to the lander in the next few days. The instrument is the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer. It includes a calorimeter that tracks how much heat is needed to melt or vaporize substances in a sample, plus a mass spectrometer to examine vapors driven off by the heat. The Thursday, May 29, tests recorded electrical behavior consistent with an intermittent short circuit in the spectrometer portion.

"We have developed a strategy to gain a better understanding of this behavior, and we have identified workarounds for some of the possibilities," said William Boynton of the University of Arizona, Tucson, lead scientist for the instrument.

The latest data from the Canadian Space Agency's weather station shows another sunny day at the Phoenix landing site with temperatures holding at minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit) as the sol's high, and a low of minus 80 degrees Celsius (minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit). The lidar instrument was activated for a 15-minute period just before noon local Mars time, and showed increasing dust in the atmosphere.

"This is the first time lidar technology has been used on the surface of another planet," said the meteorological station's chief engineer, Mike Daly, from MDA in Brampton, Canada. "The team is elated that we are getting such interesting data about the dust dynamics in the atmosphere."

The mission passed a "safe to proceed" review on Thursday evening, meeting criteria to proceed with evaluating and using the science instruments.

"We have evaluated the performance of the spacecraft on the surface and found we're ready to move forward. While we are still investigating instrument performance such as the anomaly on TEGA [Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer], the spacecraft's infrastructure has passed its tests and gets a clean bill of health," said David Spencer of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., deputy project manager for Phoenix.

"We're still in the process of checking out our instruments," Phoenix project scientist Leslie Tamppari of JPL said. "The process is designed to be very flexible, to respond to discoveries and issues that come up every day. We're in the process of taking images and getting color information that will help us understand soil properties. This will help us understand where best to first touch the soil and then where and how best to dig."

The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith at the University of Arizona with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

Media contacts: Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson
shammond@lpl.arizona.edu

2008-90

Source: NASA - Phoenix - News

Phoenix Checks Out Its Work Area

05.29.08

This mosaic of images shows the workspace reachable by the scoop on the robotic arm of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, along with some measurements of rock sizes.

Phoenix was able to determine the size of the rocks based on three-dimensional views from stereoscopic images taken by the lander's 7-foot mast camera, called the Surface Stereo Imager. The stereo pair of images enable depth perception, much the way a pair of human eyes enable people to gauge the distance to nearby objects.

The rock measurements were made by a visualization tool known as Viz, developed at NASA's Ames Research Laboratory. The shadow cast by the camera on the Martian surface appears somewhat disjointed because the camera took the images in the mosaic at different times of day.

Scientists do not yet know the origin or composition of the flat, light-colored rocks on the surface in front of the lander.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/NASA Ames

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

The Evolution of Dust over the Phoenix Lander

05.30.08

This graph shows lidar data for a 15-minute period around noon on Sol 4. Higher concentrations of dust (as shown in red and orange) move over the lander near the end of the measurement (as seen toward the right-hand side of the graph).
TV version

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Canadian Space Agency

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Mars surface beneath Phoenix

05.30.08

This contrast-enhanced image was acquired at the Phoenix landing site on Sol 4 by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC). As seen in the top center, the exhaust from the descent engine has blown soil off to reveal either rock or ice, which has not yet been determined.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University Arizona

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Weather Station's Lidar in Action

05.30.08

This image of the Canadian-built Phoenix lidar in operation (with the cover open) was acquired at the Phoenix landing site on Sol 3. The Surface Stereo Imager (right) acquired this image at 11:40:12 local solar time. The camera pointing was elevation minus 47.2987 degrees and azimuth 225.325 degrees.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Mars Weather Report - Sol 4

05.30.08

The weather, as taken by the Canadian meteorological station, at the Phoenix landing site on Sol 4 was sunny with increasing dust, and therefore decreased visibility. Temperatures ranged from a high of minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit) and a low of minus 80 (minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit). No wind measurements were available for Sol 4.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Canadian Space Agency

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Phoenix Site Panorama

05.30.08

This view is compiled of images from Phoenix's Stereo Surface Imager (SSI) camera that were taken on sols 1 and 3. The top portion has been stretched eight fold to show details of features in the background. Phoenix's parachute, backshell, heatshield, and impact site can also be seen.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Caption Credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech/University Arizona/Texas A&M University

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Phoenix Deploying its Wrist

05.30.08

› View animated GIF

This animated gif shows a series of images taken by Phoenix's Stereo Surface Imager (SSI) on Sol 3. It illustrates the actions that Phoenix's Robotic Arm took to deploy its wrist.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Phoenix Deploying its Robotic Arm Elbow

05.30.08

› View animated GIF

This animated gif is compiled of images from Phoenix's Stereo Surface Imager (SSI) taken on Sol 3. It shows the stair-step motion used to unstow the arm from a protective covering called the biobarrier. The last two moves allow the arm to stand straight up.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Camera on Arm Looks Beneath NASA Mars Lander

A view of the ground underneath NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander adds to evidence that descent thrusters dispersed overlying soil and exposed a harder substrate that may be ice.

The image received Friday night from the spacecraft's Robotic Arm Camera shows patches of smooth and level surfaces beneath the thrusters.


A view of the ground underneath NASA's Phoenix
Mars Lander.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Calech/University of
Arizona/Max Planck Institute

"This suggests we have an ice table under a thin layer of loose soil," said the lead scientist for the Robotic Arm Camera, Horst Uwe Keller of Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg- Lindau, Germany.

"We were expecting to find ice within two to six inches of the surface," said Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson, principal investigator for Phoenix. "The thrusters have excavated two to six inches and, sure enough, we see something that looks like ice. It's not impossible that it's something else, but our leading interpretation is ice."

The Phoenix mission is led by Smith at the University of Arizona with project management by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

Media contacts: Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson
shammond@lpl.arizona.edu

Source: NASA - Phoenix - News

Hard Substrate, Possibly Ice, Uncovered Under the Mars Lander

05.30.08

The Robotic Arm Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander captured this image underneath the lander on the fifth Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Descent thrusters on the bottom of the lander are visible at the top of the image.

This view from the north side of the lander toward the southern leg shows smooth surfaces cleared from overlying soil by the rocket exhaust during landing. One exposed edge of the underlying material was seen in Sol 4 images, but the newer image reveals a greater extent of it. The abundance of excavated smooth and level surfaces adds evidence to a hypothesis that the underlying material is an ice table covered by a thin blanket of soil.

The bright-looking surface material in the center, where the image is partly overexposed may not be inherently brighter than the foreground material in shadow.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech//University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Animation of Sol 3 Lidar Use

05.30.08

› View animated GIF

This series of images was taken by the Surface Stereo Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander during the firing of the spacecraft's lidar on Sol 3. The camera used its green filter (532 nanometers), which includes the wavelength of the lidar beam. The 9 images show the beam on and off. The low contrast of the beam confirms the effectiveness of the lidar dust cover, because the laser continues upward rather than scattering much light into the cameraI.

Caption Credit:NASA/JPL/Univ Arizona/Texas A&M Univ

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

If that is ice under the lander, would it be possible, to turn the landers thrusters on, on a very low setting to see if they could melt the ice?

I don't know, it would depend on whether the thrusters are capable of being ignited more than once (a lot of rocket engines aren't as they are only designed to be used once). It would also depend on whether the engines could be throttled back that low, again they are probably only designed to be throttlable within a range useful for the job they were intended for.. landing. I would make an educated guess that if the thrusters didn't melt the ice when they were used for landing they wouldn't melt it on very low thrust.

Even if all these conditions are possible NASA would have to weigh up the possible gains against the risks. What would be gained? Very little I suspect. Over the coming months the lander will scope up samples and analyse them. This will definitively confirm whether this is rock or ice.

cheers waspie,

waspie is there any missions to Europa Jupiter's icy moon, i remember seeing on the programme universe NASA was thinking of sending some craft there that would land, dig through the ice and then launch a small sub into the ocean below, ?

There are missions to Europa at the discussion stage (both with NASA and ESA) but none actually approved and funded yet.

NASA's Phoenix Lander Makes an Impression on Mars

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander reached out and touched the Martian soil for the first time on Saturday, May 31, the first step in a series of actions expected to bring soil and ice to the lander's experiments.

The lander's Robotic Arm scoop left an impression that resembles a footprint at a place provisionally named Yeti in the King of Hearts target zone, away from the area that eventually will be sampled for evaluation.


This view from the Surface Stereo Imager on
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the first
impression –- dubbed Yeti and shaped like a wide
footprint -- made on the Martian soil by the robotic
arm scoop on Sol 6, the sixth Martian day of the
mission, (May 31, 2008).
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Calech/University of
Arizona

The impression in the soil was captured by Phoenix's Stereo Surface Imager. Features and locations around the Phoenix lander are being named for fairy tale and mythological characters.

"This first touch allows us to utilize the Robotic Arm accurately. We are in a good situation for the upcoming sample acquisition and transfer," said David Spencer, Phoenix's surface mission manager from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera also took a number of images of the "Snow Queen" site of what is believed to be exposed ice under the lander.

"What we see in the images is in agreement with the notion that it may be ice, and we suspect we will see the same thing in the digging area," said Uwe Keller, Robotic Arm Camera lead scientist from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany.


This image captured by the Robotic Arm Camera
aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on Sol 6,
the sixth Martian day of the mission, (May 31,
2008) shows a close-up of the "Snow Queen"
feature under the lander.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of
Arizona/Max Planck Institute

Media contacts: Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson
shammond@lpl.arizona.edu

Source: NASA - Phoenix - News

Phoenix Makes an Impression on Mars

06.01.08

This view from the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the first impression –- dubbed Yeti and shaped like a wide footprint -- made on the Martian soil by the robotic arm scoop on Sol 6, the sixth Martian day of the mission, (May 31, 2008). Touching the ground is the first step toward scooping up soil and ice and delivering the samples to the lander's onboard experiments.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Potential Ice Table Under Lander Imaged

06.01.08

This image captured by the Robotic Arm Camera aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on Sol 6, the sixth Martian day of the mission, (May 31, 2008) shows a close-up of the "Snow Queen" feature under the lander.

Swept clear of surface dust by the thruster rockets as Phoenix landed, the area has a smooth surface with layers visible and several smooth, rounded cavities.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

I wonder how long it will take for someone to try and claim life on mars with that photo that looks like a footprint?

Phoenix Test Sample Site

06.02.08

This image, acquired by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on Sol 7, the seventh day of the mission (June 1, 2008), shows the so-called "Knave of Hearts" first-dig test area to the north of the lander. The Robotic Arm's scraping blade left a small horizontal depression above where the sample was taken.

Scientists speculate that white material in the depression left by the dig could represent ice or salts that precipitated into the soil. This material is likely the same white material observed in the sample in the Robotic Arm's scoop.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Phoenix Test Sample Site in Color

06.02.08

This color image, acquired by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on Sol 7, the seventh day of the mission (June 1, 2008), shows the so-called "Knave of Hearts" first-dig test area to the north of the lander. The Robotic Arm's scraping blade left a small horizontal depression above where the sample was taken.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University

› Full resolution

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Stereo View of Phoenix Test Sample Site

06.02.08

This anaglyph image, acquired by NASA's Phoenix Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on Sol 7, the seventh day of the mission (June 1, 2008), shows a stereoscopic 3D view of the so-called "Knave of Hearts" first-dig test area to the north of the lander. The Robotic Arm's scraping blade left a small horizontal depression above where the sample was taken.

Scientists speculate that white material in the depression left by the dig could represent ice or salts that precipitated into the soil. This material is likely the same while material observed in the sample in the Robotic Arm's scoop.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

NASA's Phoenix Scoops up Martian Soil

One week after landing on far-northern Mars, NASA Phoenix spacecraft lifted its first scoop of Martian soil as a test of the lander's Robotic Arm.

The practice scoop was emptied onto a designated dump area on the ground after the Robotic Arm Camera photographed the soil inside the scoop. The Phoenix team plans to have the arm deliver its next scoopful, later this week, to an instrument that heats and sniffs the sample to identify ingredients.


This color image, acquired by NASA’s Phoenix
Mars Lander’s Surface Stereo Imager on Sol 7, the
seventh day of the mission (June 1, 2008), shows
the so-called “Knave of Hearts” first-dig test area to
the north of the lander.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Calech/University of
Arizona/Texas A&M University

A glint of bright material appears in the scooped up soil and in the hole from which it came. "That bright material might be ice or salt. We're eager to do testing of the next three surface samples collected nearby to learn more about it," said Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis, Phoenix co-investigator for the Robotic Arm.

The camera on the arm examined the lander's first scoop of Martian soil. "The camera has its own red, green and blue lights, and we combine separate images taken with different illumination to create color images," said the University of Arizona's Pat Woida, senior engineer on the Phoenix team.

The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith at the University of Arizona with project management by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.


This image from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's
Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) shows material from
the Martian surface captured by the Robotic Arm
(RA) scoop during its first test dig and dump on
the seventh Martian day of the mission, or Sol 7
(June 1, 2008).
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of
Arizona/Max Planck Institute

Media contacts: Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson
shammond@lpl.arizona.edu

Source: NASA - Phoenix - News

Martian Soil Inside Phoenix's Robotic Arm Scoop

06.02.08

This image from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) shows material from the Martian surface captured by the Robotic Arm (RA) scoop during its first test dig and dump on the seventh Martian day of the mission, or Sol 7 (June 1, 2008). The test sample shown was taken from the digging area informally known as "Knave of Hearts."

Scientists speculate that the white patches on the right side of the image could possibly be ice or salts that precipitated into the soil. Scientists also speculate that this white material is probably the same material seen in previous images from under the lander in which an upper surface of an ice table was observed. The color for this image was acquired by illuminating the RA scoop with a set of red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Partially Opened Oven on Phoenix

06.03.08

This view from the Robotic Arm Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows partial opening of doors to one of the tiny ovens of the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer.

Each oven has a pair of spring-loaded doors. Near the center of the image, the partial opening of a pair of doors reveals screen over the opening where a soil sample will be delivered. The door to the right is fully opened and the one to the left is partially deployed. The doors are 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. The opening is 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) wide.

Tests on the Phoenix testbed at the University of Arizona, Tucson, indicate that a soil sample could be delivered into the oven through the partially opened doors. Engineers are also exploring possibilities for opening the doors more completely.
This image was taken during Phoenix's eighth Martian day, or sol (June 2, 2008).

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Scoopful of Martian Soil After Release

06.03.08

This sequence of two images was acquired by NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander’s Surface Stereo Imager on sols 6 and 7--the sixth and seventh days of the mission (May 31 and June 1, 2008). Both images show an area to the west of the digging site informally known as "Knave of Hearts." The second image shows the movement and shadow of the Robotic Arm. Between Phoenix's Arm and the shadow is a small handful of Martian soil that has been released from the Robotic Arm onto the surface.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University

› Full resolution

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

NASA'S Phoenix Retesting Release of Martian Soil

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Engineers and scientists operating NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander decided early today to repeat a practice test of releasing Martian soil from the scoop on the lander's Robotic Arm.

When the arm collected and released its first scoopful of soil on Sunday, some of the sample stuck to the scoop. The team told Phoenix this morning to lift another surface sample and release it, with more extensive imaging of the steps in the process.


A sequence of two images was acquired by NASA’s
Phoenix Mars Lander’s Surface Stereo Imager on
sols 6 and 7--the sixth and seventh days of the
mission (May 31 and June 1, 2008.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Calech/University of
Arizona/Texas A&M University

"We are proceeding cautiously," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona. "Before we begin delivering samples to the instruments on the deck, we want a good understanding of how the soil behaves."

An image of one of the analytical instruments received Monday night, June 2, underscored the need for precise release of samples. It shows the two spring-loaded doors on one of the tiny ovens of the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer. On Monday, engineers sent commands for the doors to open in preparation for receiving the instrument's first soil sample. Images returned that evening showed one door opened fully, the other partially. Phoenix engineers said the opening is wide enough to receive a sample, and that the door might open farther on its own, particularly once the sun warms the spring holding the door.

The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith at the University of Arizona with project management by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

Media contacts: Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson
shammond@lpl.arizona.edu

Source: NASA - Phoenix - News

Is it possible that the sticking soil is damp or is it because it is so fine that it packs?

how big is the scoop? and if the sample is damp, can it still be tested by the lander?

No. Liquid water can not exist at the atmospheric pressure we see at Martian surface. At these pressures water sublimes, meaning it goes from solid (ice) to gas (water vapour) without being a liquid in between.

I don't know and, as the article says that the team are trying to find out how the soil behaves, I'm guessing NASA don't know yet either.

I'm not sure exactly, but, judging from pictures I've seen, about the size of a human hand.

As noted above, the soil will not be damp, but the lander is designed to look for and analyse ice.

great pics ! question waspie on post 172 a color image theres a rock to the left hand top of the pic looks like it was pushed? Do you have any info? Did the scoop push a rock to see what might crawl out from under it? DONTEATUS

Only what is posted here.


I don't know.

I find it impossible to tell whether you make daft comments like this because you are joking or not. Either way I tend to ignore them.

Sampling Strategy

06.04.08

Three locations to the right of the test dig area are identified for the first samples to be delivered to the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA), the Wet Chemistry Lab (WCL), and the Optical Microscope (OM) on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. These sampling areas are informally labeled "Baby Bear", "Mama Bear", and "Papa Bear" respectively. This image was taken on the seventh day of the Mars mission, or Sol 7 (June 1, 2008) by the Surface Stereo Imager aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

› Full resolution

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

White Layer Visible in Dig Area

06.04.08

This color image was taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Stereo Surface Imager on the ninth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 9 (June 3, 2008). This image of the trench shows a white layer that has been uncovered by the Robotic Arm scoop and is now visible in the wall of the trench.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University

› Full resolution

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Color B of workspace from sol 7

06.04.08

Mark Left by First Dig at Phoenix Site

The hole in the ground produced by the first Robotic Arm dig at the landing site of NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission appears to the right of the the three largest rocks near the center of this image.

The hole is the width of the scoop on the end of the arm, about 9 centimeters (3.5 inches). It resulted from a practice dig during the mission's seventh Martian day, or sol 7 (June 1, 2008). The lander's Surface Stereo Imager took this image later that sol. The image is in approximately true color, produced by combining exposures taken through different filters. The green band at upper left is a portion where imaging data was incomplete in for one of the filters.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

stevewinn, the answer to your question, "how big is the scoop?" lies in the post above:I wish I had seen this before I replied to you.

Second Dig and Dump Test

06.04.08

The Robotic Arm took a second scoop full of soil and revealed whitish material at the bottom of the dig area informally called the "Knave of Hearts". The Science Team is debating whether this is a salt layer or the top of an ice table. Image was taken by the Surface Stereo Imager on the ninth day of the Mars mission, or Sol 9, (June 3, 2008) aboard the NASA Phoenix Mars Lander.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Martian Surface Beneath Phoenix

06.04.08

This is an image of the Martian surface beneath NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. The image was taken by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) on the eighth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 8 (June 2, 2008). The light feature in the middle of the image below the leg is informally called "Holy Cow." The dust, shown in the dark foreground, has been blown off of "Holy Cow" by Phoenix's thruster engines.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Color Views of Soil Scooped on Sol 9

06.04.08

These three color views show the Robotic Arm scoop from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. The image shows a handful of Martian soil dug from the digging site informally called "Knave of Hearts," from the trench informally called "Dodo," on the ninth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 9 (June 3, 2008). "Dodo" is the same site as the earlier test trench dug on the seventh Martian day of the mission, or Sol 7 (June 1, 2008).

The Robotic Arm Camera took the three color views at different focus positions. Scientists can better study soil structure and estimate how much soil was collected by taking multiple images at different foci.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Color Views of Soil Scooped on Sol 9

06.04.08

This image shows the landing site of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on the fourth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 4 (May 29, 2008). The image was taken by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC). As seen in the top center, the exhaust from the descent engine has blown soil off to reveal either rock or ice, which has not yet been determined.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Martian Surface Beneath Phoenix Lander

06.04.08

This is an image of the Martian surface taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) on the fifth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 5 (May 30, 2008). It was taken to show a more detailed image of the feature informally called "Snow Queen," located just beneath the lander. The holes in the image are located under Phoenix's thrusters.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Phoenix's "Dodo" Trench

06.04.08

This image was taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) on the ninth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 9 (June 3, 2008). The center of the image shows a trench informally called "Dodo" after the second dig. "Dodo" is located within the previously determined digging area, informally called "Knave of Hearts." The light square to the right of the trench is the Robotic Arm's Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP). The Robotic Arm has scraped to a bright surface which indicated the Arm has reached a solid structure underneath the surface, which has been seen in other images as well.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Max Planck Institute

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Phoenix Lander Work Area

06.04.08

This image shows NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Robotic Arm work area with an overlay. The pink area is available for digging, the green area is reserved for placing the Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) instrument. Soil can be dumped in the violet area.

Images were displayed using NASA Ames "Viz" visualization software.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image NASA Ames

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Map of Phoenix Digging Area

06.04.08

This image shows where NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Robotic Arm scoop has started digging, and the next areas planned for digging. The majority of the area to the right of the current trench is being preserved for future digging.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image Credit: NASA Ames

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Trench Visualization

06.04.08

This image shows oblique views of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's trench visualized using the NASA Ames Viz software package that allows interactive movement around terrain and measurement of features. The Surface Stereo Imager images are used to create a digital elevation model of the terrain. The trench is 1.5 inches deep. The top image was taken on the seventh Martian day of the mission, or Sol 7 (June 1, 2008). The bottom image was taken on the ninth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 9 (June 3, 2008).

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University/NASA Ames

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Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Telltale animation

06.04.08

This animation of the NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's telltale was made from five images taken by Phoenix's Stereo Surface Imager (SSI) near 3:00 PM local Mars time on the ninth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 9 (June 3, 2008). The images were taken with a blue filter (450 nanometer, R6) that focuses at items on the deck rather than the workspace or horizon.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University Arizona/Texas A&M University

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

Telltale animation

06.04.08

This animation of the NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's telltale was made from five images taken by Phoenix's Stereo Surface Imager (SSI) just after 4:37 PM local Mars time on the ninth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 9 (June 3, 2008). The images were taken with a blue filter (450 nanometer, R6) that focuses at items on the deck rather than the workspace or horizon.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University Arizona/Texas A&M University

Source: NASA - Phoenix - Images

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Ready to Gather Samples

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Two practice rounds of digging and dumping the clumpy soil at the Martian arctic site this week gave scientists and engineers gathered at the University of Arizona confidence to begin using Phoenix's Robotic Arm to deliver soil samples to instruments on the lander deck.

Those samples will not be collected before Thursday. Following Wednesday's briefing on the mission, the Phoenix team learned that NASA's Odyssey orbiter, which relays Phoenix data to and from Earth, had entered a "safe mode," preventing Wednesday's (or sol 10) instructions from reaching the lander. Instead, Phoenix will complete a sequence of commands that are already stored on board. That sequence includes instructions for the lander to continue taking images required to assemble a full-color 360-degree high-resolution panorama.


The Robotic Arm took a second scoop full of soil
and revealed whitish material at the bottom of the
dig area informally called the "Knave of Hearts".
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Calech/University of
Arizona

Odyssey mission managers are doing a check out of the orbiter to determine what triggered the safe mode. During safe mode, the spacecraft turns off non-essential operations and waits for instructions from Earth. In the meantime, the Phoenix team has been directed to issue commands to the lander and receive data through Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). While Phoenix has been primarily utilizing Odyssey for relay services since MRO's UHF radio unexpectedly powered off during a relay pass on Sol 2, the radio has been exercised repeatedly over the past week and appears to be operating well.

The two practice digs have already enticed scientists about some bright material in the soil just beneath the surface.

"Two scoops into the soil we see there's a white layer becoming visible in the wall of the trench," said Carol Stoker of NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., a member of the Phoenix science team.

Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith said, "We've had an impassioned discussion of whether that may be salts or ice or some other material even more exotic."

Concentrations of salts can be indicators of formerly wet conditions. One goal for the Phoenix mission is to determine whether the ice beneath the surface of far-northern Mars ever thaws during long-term climate cycles.

The location chosen for the sample is adjacent to the hole dug by the two practice scoops. The team plans to command the arm to deliver the sample to the lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA), after it first receives images to confirm that the scoop holds collected soil ready for delivery.

"The arm has been performing flawlessly," said Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, senior robotics engineer on the Phoenix Robotic Arm team. The arm made daring, Tai Chi or Yoga-like moves to position the Robotic Arm Camera to take pictures underneath the lander, and did its two test digs "magnificently," he said.

Phoenix is the first mission to dig into Mars with a robotic arm since the Viking landers in the 1970s.

"We have only dug to a depth of an inch or two, so we know there are challenges ahead," Trebi-Ollennu added. "But we are confident that we'll get a good amount of material to deliver to TEGA."

In addition to the bright material seen where the arm collected test samples, a layer of hard, light-toned substrate has been seen in images taken underneath the lander by the Robotic Arm Camera.

"We think the lander is sitting on a layer of this white material that possibly extends beyond, out into our work area," said Uwe Keller, Robotic Arm Camera lead scientist from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany. Phoenix's telltale, which is part of the Canadian Space Agency's meteorological package and the highest part of the lander, has proved to be very sensitive to Martian winds, said Haraldur Gunnlaugsson of the University of Aarhus, Denmark, which provided the device.

"A storm on Mars is a gentle hand movement on Earth," Gunnlaugsson said. Surface Stereo Imager images of the telltale show a diurnal pattern to Martian winds. Winds come from the south in the morning, blow in from the north by mid-day, from the west in the afternoon, and again from the south by the end of the day.

Knowledge of wind direction and speed is important to prevent possible contamination of samples during digging.

The Phoenix mission is led by Smith at the University of Arizona with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

Media contacts: Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

Sara Hammond 520-626-1974
University of Arizona, Tucson
shammond@lpl.arizona.edu

2008-097

Source: NASA - Phoenix - News

thanks waspie for taking the time to answer my questions. its fantastic reading about this mission, and seeing that its Thursday, lets hope the lander has collected its first samples,

when i was looking at the digging area, the area seems small to me, wouldn't it have been better sending a rover instead of a lander, at least with a rover you can drive to an object,

cant wait for the 360, photo,