Mars Phoenix lander has near-perfect landing, says "it's really cold out here"

Things are looking good for the Phoenix lander which touched down on Mars at 4:53pm on Sunday, May 25. The NASA nerds are reporting an almost perfect landing, with the spacebot tilted only one quarter of a degree. In fact, they're claiming that this landing was "far smoother than any simulation or test that was ever done." The lander's north-pole location is measured at -106 degrees Fahrenheit and chock-full of life-preserving ice. Phoenix will chill on Mars for 90 days, sniffing soil and looking for frozen Martians in whatever form they may take. Now that Mars Oddyssey -- one of its main communication uplinks -- has passed over the lander, we have our first pictures, one of which is above. Nice work, guys!

[Via The Phoenix Mission]

[Justin Rossetti @ May 26th 2008 10:11AM]

cruise is incorrect. it does not move.

[josh @ May 26th 2008 10:18AM]

You're absolutely right -- fixed as to not confuse people.

[Seth @ May 26th 2008 11:39AM]

It doesn't move because then it would have fun with the other rovers. Or, the aliens would decide to use it as a toy. Either one.

[Flashpoint @ May 26th 2008 10:12AM]

CONGRATS AMERICA !

Perfect Memorial Day Gift.

[Raheem @ May 26th 2008 10:42AM]

The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith at the University of Arizona, Tucson, with project management at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, Denver. International contributions are provided by the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

[helloUser @ May 26th 2008 10:13AM]

How much is -106 degrees Fahrenheit in Celcius? I didnt know there were countries that have yet to adap the metric system and all....??

[aMac @ May 26th 2008 10:19AM]

about -77°C

[John P @ May 26th 2008 10:20AM]

Indeed, the US is still reporting in Fahrenheit. But good news! There is a formula you can do to figure it out!
Cels = (5/9)x(Faren-32)

Or you can go here http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm
The answer is 76.6C

[Richard Lai @ May 26th 2008 10:41AM]

You can also just type in "convert -106 degrees Fahrenheit to Celcius" into Google:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&hs=Uxd&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=convert+-106+degrees+Fahrenheit+to+Celsius&spell=1

[Andrew Harrison @ May 26th 2008 10:46AM]

Google actually makes it even easier than that!

-106F in C

http://www.google.com/search?q=-106F%20in%20C

[CosterMonger @ May 26th 2008 11:18AM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ZuNBUBmcM
that sound Anti-American

METRIC RULES!!!

[CraigJ @ May 26th 2008 12:09PM]

Metric is not more or less accurate than English measurements, it is simply different and based on units of 10. NASA has already stated they are converting to Metric. There is no reason the be pedantic about it.

If you watched the landing you noticed that they called out the distance in meters. Have you considered the fact that the mission is being run in metric and it's just being converted to English units for the reporting?

Frankly, if I want to measure my speed in MILES per hour, and put GALLONS of gasoline in my car what is it to you? Since English measurements are arbitrary and more difficult to do math and conversion on, perhaps your real complaint is that you aren't smart enough to figure it out, 'cause those fraction things are just to hard to work with?

[helloUser @ May 26th 2008 12:18PM]

Oh no, I think craig's bubble just burst.

How about this for an answer: the imperial system is dated and having the see it (with a few excpetions in the US) is annoying, its not very practical. Using a decimal system is much more efficient.

[rishi @ May 26th 2008 12:31PM]

...Celsius is technically not a part of the metric system. They are independent systems of measurement.

[CraigJ @ May 26th 2008 12:56PM]

No bursting bubble, just irritation at all the inaccuracies.

[hp540 @ May 26th 2008 5:51PM]

Kelvins and Celsius are a heck of a lot easier to convert than Farenheit to Celsius.

It's about time the US joined the rest of the world - but then again, the US is a country full of people who believe in Noah's Ark and that humans coexisted with dinosaurs.

[OddManOut @ May 26th 2008 8:23PM]

"...who believe in Noah's Ark and that humans coexisted with dinosaurs."

Completely absurd statement. Have you check US foreign policy lately ? I think it's pretty clear that Americans don't believe in co-existing with ANYBODY...

(And before you low rank me, I AM an American...which from many peoples perspective probably warrants a low ranking in and of itself :P)

Smile people...just a little sarcastic humor...

[purplegreendave @ May 26th 2008 10:15AM]

Hey, I can see my house from there!

[Richard Lai @ May 26th 2008 1:09PM]

There's Internet on Mars too?

[Bunson @ May 26th 2008 1:42PM]

They even have 3G!

[charonzen @ May 26th 2008 4:13PM]

Not only 3G, but WiMax too...

[Jake Paul @ May 26th 2008 10:17AM]

Ooooh boy. The Greys aren't going to be very pleased about this. Expect NASA to release a statement about "unexpected technical difficulties" in the next 24 hours, aborting the mission.

[Itsuru @ May 26th 2008 10:30AM]

Let me be the first to say it; I think they've landed on the moon.

[roole @ May 26th 2008 10:51AM]

Nah.... I think they never left AZ.

[roole @ May 26th 2008 10:53AM]

Seriously: This is a stunning technological accomplishment. Congratulations and good luck, all!!!!!!!!

[crescentdavid @ May 26th 2008 10:35AM]

It was an absolutely flawless EDL. Really great seeing it at their site. Thanks for continuing to track it. The Phoenix is one of the ultimate gadgets out there ... as in, wayyyyy out there.

[Kim @ May 26th 2008 10:44AM]

Martian home already spotted? check out the white structure in upper middle right hand of landscape. Or maybe just a martian ice runner sled. http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=440&cID=8

[eh @ May 26th 2008 10:59AM]

probably just a sign post.

[CraigJ @ May 26th 2008 11:13AM]

most likely the shell jettisoned prior to landing...

[Ron Smith @ May 26th 2008 11:22AM]

The guys at JPL have jokingly called it "the martian polar bear"

[Rand @ May 26th 2008 12:48PM]

Its a Starbucks.

[Blaktornado @ May 26th 2008 6:10PM]

I'm pretty sure it's just a big rock, with another big rock reasonably near to it making it look like some sort of building...


wait, that was the joke? Damn.

[Josh L @ May 26th 2008 10:51AM]

Let me know when they've found the Prothean ruins.

Seriously though, great work to everyone involved!

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ May 26th 2008 10:58AM]

I'm playing mass effect now an the same thing jumped in to my head. Arizona looks rather flat may hve to visit one day.

[Anton @ May 26th 2008 10:55AM]

Anybody else only read the "High Rated" comments and just skip over the rest?

[Josh L @ May 26th 2008 10:56AM]

No, I prefer reading them all instead of letting people I've never met think for me.

[AJ in the East Bay @ May 26th 2008 10:58AM]

I do that sometimes, Anton. Especially on a post with a lot of comments.

[DarkLight @ May 26th 2008 11:10AM]

Like AJ, I do that on threads with a crapload of comments... On small threads I read all

[Cygnus @ May 26th 2008 12:27PM]

So, Anton, does that mean you don't read your own comments?

[Hubbs604 @ May 26th 2008 3:19PM]

Cygnus -
Why would he read his OWN comments?

[Darkest Daze @ May 26th 2008 5:27PM]

When there are a lot of comments, I'll do that, because I honestly would be here ALL day if I read every single comment.

[John @ May 26th 2008 10:55AM]

it's just University of Arizona, there's no need for the "Tucson" as there's just the one campus

[CraigJ @ May 26th 2008 11:15AM]

People confuse U of A with ASU all the time. U of A is in Tucson, ASU is in Tempe.

[clement @ May 26th 2008 11:09AM]

just got back from Indy IV, can't help myself so i have to ask this, great picture, but where are the aliens?

[CraigJ @ May 26th 2008 11:17AM]

Great Picture? as in Star Wars Episodes 1, 2 and 3 great?

[bjorn_ahlm @ May 26th 2008 12:40PM]

More likely as in Star Wars episodes IV, V and VI great.
The first three were rubbish.

[CraigJ @ May 26th 2008 12:53PM]

IV = A New Hope, I = The Phantom Menace.

Are you seriously suggestion that The Phantom Menace was better than A New Hope?

If your only criteria is special effects I can see that I suppose.

[Phred @ May 26th 2008 4:53PM]

Yeah, that was the whole point of CraigJ's post that you just missed there.

Of course, by "picture," clement pretty clearly meant the mars photo, not the Indy movie, anyway.

[CraigJ @ May 27th 2008 12:07AM]

Yeah, I think you're right. So, yeah, Mars Picture = Great. Indy 4 = Maybe as good as Indy 2, but not nearly as good as 1 or 3...

[Dennis @ May 26th 2008 11:17AM]

Too bad it's not a rover like some of the other missions. But I have a feeling if it was, it's surroundings would always look the same.
It would also be nice if it had a core sampler built into it to supplement the scoop.