The coolest live blog on the web – from the JPL, commanding the Phoenix Mars Lander:
4:39 pm
We have now verified a successful cruise stage separation and turn to entry. The Phoenix UHF signal is also being picked up by Mars Odyssey. We’re now less than six minutes from entry, at which point events will happen in rapid succession. Less than a minute after entry, Phoenix will begin heating to the point of plasma blackout due to the friction created by the atmosphere, during which we may lose communication briefly. Phoenix will then come out of plasma blackout about two minutes later. Over the four minutes following that, Phoenix will deploy its parachute, heat shield, lander legs, and then hopefully come to a soft landing on Mars.4:45 pm
Phoenix has now entered the atmosphere. We expect possible plasma blackout in about a minute. Phoenix is less than three minutes to parachute deploy and less than seven minutes to touchdown.4:48 pm
Odyssey has maintained a signal from Phoenix through the period of peak heating when we might have experienced a loss of communications due to plasma blackout.4:50 pm
Parachute deploy detected! Heat shield deploy detected! Radar ground lock detected!4:53 pm
Touchdown detected!! We’re on the surface of Mars and there is celebration in Mission Control!!
The Phoenix lander is on a mission to the Martian North Pole to search for water and life. We could know in a few days if there’s anything there…which of course would raise all sorts of very entertaining metaphysical questions for the faithful.
Filed under: Uncategorized , Atheism, Mars, News, Photos, Pictures, Science
