Phoenix at Mars
Explanation:
The Phoenix
lander's footpads are about the size of a dinner plate.
One of three is shown
at the right,
covered with Martian soil after
a successful soft landing on the Red Planet
on May 25.
Amazingly, the
left
panel image is of the spacecraft during its descent phase,
captured by the HiRISE camera onboard
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter --
the first image
ever of a spacecraft descending to the surface of another planet.
Taken from 750 kilometers
above Mars,
the picture shows Phoenix
suspended beneath its unfurling, 10 meter-wide parachute,
against the much darker Martian surface.
The lander is still attached to its protective backshell.
Phoenix subsequently released its parachute at an altitude of
12.6 kilometers.
Using rockets to further reduce its speed for landing,
Phoenix now
rests in the northern polar region of
Mars at about 68 degrees latitude.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
