May 27, 2008

Phoenix Descends Across A Stunning Vista

NASA Mars Phoenix Lander Descending To Mars with Crater in the Background

"Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera acquired this image of Phoenix hanging from its parachute as it descended to the Martian surface. Shown here is a 10 kilometer (6 mile) diameter crater informally called "Heimdall," and an improved full-resolution image of the parachute and lander. Although it appears that Phoenix is descending into the crater, it is actually about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) in front of the crater."


Posted by kcowing at May 27, 2008 5:10 PM
Comments

Why was the landing site chosen so near the large crater. A little miss would have landed Phoenix inside the crater.

Posted by: Vasanth at May 27, 2008 9:03 PM

My understanding is that the crater was outside the landing ellipse. Also, the picture is deceptivewrtrelative position of lander and crater.

Impressive crater!! Methinks the MRO team are just showing off. A bit of oneupmanship perhaps???

Posted by: David Chapman at May 28, 2008 12:36 AM

It's still high in the atmosphere, Vasanth.

Truly amazing. How can people NOT get excited by things like this? Yet I was the only one in my department that went up to my office to watch the NTV of it . . . . sad, for a science institute. And Thanks for the coverage, Keith.

Posted by: JC at May 28, 2008 1:11 AM

The Heimdall crater is (was) mostly outside the possible landing ellipses - see this image.

Posted by: Steen Jorgensen at May 28, 2008 3:38 AM

Just as the day of the landing was selected to be in the middle of a holiday weekend, it is easy to imagine that the timing and angles were all pre-coordinated to enable this INCREDIBLE image with a stunning crater as a backdrop to the incoming Phoenix lander.

It escapes me why this wasn't put out on the front page of all the major newspapers. Perhaps Newsweek or Time will go for it.

Posted by: Dan Helfrich at May 28, 2008 11:36 AM

NASA at its Best!

Success like this will inspire the next generation of explorers like nothing else can.

Posted by: Brian Bernhard at May 28, 2008 12:42 PM
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