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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Phoenix Spacecraft, First Ever Photographed by Another Craft
Descent of the Phoenix Lander


NASA Mars orbiter photographed lander's descent

Here's one for the Gee Whizz! Dept.: NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was ready for the landing of the Mars Phoenix mission on Sunday. It's primary role was to relay radio signals and photographs after the lander touched down in the Martian arctic. But it went one better.

NASA/JPL/Univ. of ArizonaThe orbiter, circling the planet some 500 miles above the surface, normally looks straight down to gather images of the surface of Mars.

But on Sunday controllers turned it from vertical to an oblique angle to watch as the Phoenix lander arrived and entered the Martian atmosphere. And they switched on the orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRise) - a telescopic camera -in an attempt to snap a photograph as Phoenix made its descent.

And darned if it didn't work. The image at left shows Phoenix dangling from its partly unfurled parachute, minutes before it separated from the 'chute and settled to the surface with its retro-rocket engines blazing.

It's the first time any spacecraft has ever been imaged by another while landing on another NASA/JPL/University of Arizonacelestial body. Amazing. Meantime, the Phoenix pictures just keep coming down from Mars.

Here's a link to the mission's main Web page. Enjoy it. You paid for it.

UPDATE: NASA has released an even better, high-resolution image of the lander during its descent, along with a wide-angle shot showing the spacecraft against the backdrop of a huge crater. Even more amazing.

- Frank Roylance [Science Matters]
6:58:20 PM    

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