Space Forum / Space History / May 2008

In case anyone hasn't bookmarked it; here's the official webpage for the
incoming Phoenix imagery:
http://fawkes4.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=0&cID=8
BTW, did the landing gear incorporate coiled springs for shock

Congratulations to the JPL team for getting Phoenix down safely, and avoiding the menace
known as the Great Martian Ghoul. Now, just where was the GMG? Was he asleep at his
post? Just maybe he was on a diet, and had to let this one go. He will be lurking, though, for
MSL when the ...

We need somewhere appropriate to for all this!  Has anyone spoken to Henry
Spencer yet?  We can't keep posting to ss.shuttle, ss.policy and
ss.history - it's too disjointed for one and completely off-topic as well.
What about setting up an alt. group (or series of groups)?  Can ...

Anyone know?  Do they have a TDRSS system as part of the ISS
agreement?

While driving to work this morning, local radio news reported that the
Phoenix landed on the North Pole of Mars....
sigh.
When the media gives the wrong information about a topic I know about,

Perhaps I'm making a mountian out of a mole hill. but some of the
imagery coming in from the self portraits and local landing area of
the Phoenix seems to be "fuzzy" and slightly out of focus.  Perhpas
calibration is still being done?.................Doc

Why is the Apollo CM described as a spherical section RV and not a
sphere-cone RV?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080509/ap_on_hi_te/shuttle_recovered_data
On the Net:
NASA write-up of the experiment whose data was recovered:
http://tinyurl.com/44nqgv

WOW   http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/230202main_9227-PHX_Lander.jpg
........Doc

Now we know why the success rate of spacecraft to Mars has been so low.
According to the text associated with this image:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/images/press/SS000RAD_CYL_P_10C70_R111
T2_full_001.html
the Phoenix has "octagonal solar panels" but in fact there ...

Newest goodies from the north polar region of Mars:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix/main.php
Soil color looks very similar to what the two MERs found  at their
landing sites.

Early data suggests that touchdown was successful and is working
on the surface of Mars.  Much more deployment of equipment and
data to follow.
(whew!)

Standing by for the first images...of the deployed solar panels.....

Unfortunately, the infection in OM's leg and foot reemerged,
necessitating the amputation of the leg below the knee this morning.
This is really tragic news.
Pat

Confirms that the equipment module didn't separate when it was supposed to:
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Soyuz_Bumpy_Re_Entry_Caused_By_Technical_Glitc
h_999.html
Pat