Mars Phoenix lander has near-perfect landing, says "it's really cold out here"
By Joshua Fruhlinger 
posted May 26th 2008 10:05AM
posted May 26th 2008 10:05AM
[Via The Phoenix Mission]
posted May 26th 2008 10:05AM
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cruise is incorrect. it does not move.
You're absolutely right -- fixed as to not confuse people.
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.
CONGRATS AMERICA !
Perfect Memorial Day Gift.
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.
Hey, I can see my house from there!
There's Internet on Mars too?
They even have 3G!
Not only 3G, but WiMax too...
How much is -106 degrees Fahrenheit in Celcius? I didnt know there were countries that have yet to adap the metric system and all....??
about -77°C
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
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
Google actually makes it even easier than that!
-106F in C
http://www.google.com/search?q=-106F%20in%20C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ZuNBUBmcM
that sound Anti-American
METRIC RULES!!!
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?
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.
...Celsius is technically not a part of the metric system. They are independent systems of measurement.
No bursting bubble, just irritation at all the inaccuracies.
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.
"...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...
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.
Let me be the first to say it; I think they've landed on the moon.
Nah.... I think they never left AZ.
Seriously: This is a stunning technological accomplishment. Congratulations and good luck, all!!!!!!!!
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.
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
probably just a sign post.
most likely the shell jettisoned prior to landing...
The guys at JPL have jokingly called it "the martian polar bear"
Its a Starbucks.
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.
Let me know when they've found the Prothean ruins.
Seriously though, great work to everyone involved!
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.
it's just University of Arizona, there's no need for the "Tucson" as there's just the one campus
People confuse U of A with ASU all the time. U of A is in Tucson, ASU is in Tempe.
Anybody else only read the "High Rated" comments and just skip over the rest?
No, I prefer reading them all instead of letting people I've never met think for me.
I do that sometimes, Anton. Especially on a post with a lot of comments.
Like AJ, I do that on threads with a crapload of comments... On small threads I read all
Cygnus -
Why would he read his OWN comments?
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.
just got back from Indy IV, can't help myself so i have to ask this, great picture, but where are the aliens?
Great Picture? as in Star Wars Episodes 1, 2 and 3 great?
More likely as in Star Wars episodes IV, V and VI great.
The first three were rubbish.
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.
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.
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...
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.
See that's the problem with NASA, they don't think BIG enough anymore
They need to go all out and send in a rover with all the instrumentation needed to do some real scientific studies, and not this half assed attempts they've been doing