Here's the scoop: Phoenix places footprint on Mars

William Atkins
Monday, 02 June 2008 22:51

Science - Space

The NASA Phoenix Mars Lander placed its scoop in the dirt for the first time on Saturday, May 31, 2008. Mission managers say it is their first step at searching for past life on the planet.

For its first baby step on the planet, the Lander’s robotic arm set its scoop down on the surface—leaving an impression that looks like a wide footprint.

The location of this first stop is being called “Yeti,” which is located in an area called the “King of Hearts.”

The image of “Yeti” was taken by the stereo surface imager (SSI) onboard Phoenix. The SSI is the primary camera on Phoenix. Built by the University of Arizona in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, it is a high-resolution, stereo camera.

Besides taking images of the Martian ground, the SSI will also be used to measure the atmospheric distortion on Mars due to its air, dust particles, and other physical entities.

During its exploration of the surface and subsurface area around its landing spot, Phoenix will use its instruments to bore into the ground, scoop up samples of dirt, analyze them, and then send back data to scientists here on Earth—a trip of about 420 million miles (670 million kilometers).

Two images—the Yeti image and an image of the ice table below the Lander (what is being labeled the “Snow Queen”)—are found at the University of Arizona—Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Phoenix Images website entitled “NASA'S Phoenix Lander Makes an Impression on Mars.”

Both images were taken on May 31, 2008, the sixth day of the mission (sixth Martian day, Sol 6).

Comments from the Phoenix team follow on the next page.