Phoenix Mars Mission
Objectives
Three-dimensional image of the Martian arctic created using
data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)
aboard Global Surveyor.
(Image Credit: NASA; Greg Shirah, SVS)
This magnified view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity of a portion of a
Martian rock called "Upper Dells" shows evidence that sediments that formed
the rock were laid down in flowing water.
(Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS)
Objectives
Phoenix Mars Mission's main objective is to launch this mission to taste Martian water and search for the organic carbon building-blocks of life near the planet’s polar regions.
NASA Science Goals
Phoenix seeks to verify the presence of the Martian Holy Grail: water and habitable conditions. In doing so, the mission strongly complements the four goals of NASA's Mars Exploration Program.
The two main objectives of the phoenix mars lander are to 1:study the history of water in all of its phases and 2:search for evidence of habitable zone and access the potential of the ice-soil boundary.
The phoenix mars landers science goals are to determine if life ever arose on mars, characterize the climate of mars, characterize the geology of mars, and prepare for human exploration of mars.
The following table shows the relationships between Phoenix's science objectives, the scientific measurements to be made, and the instruments that will make these measurements.
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Verify presence of water ice |
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Determine soil layering and depth to ice layer(s) |
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Determine porosity of soil and ice |
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Show links between ice, organics, salts, and other minerals |
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Measure carbonates |
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Measure soil chemistry, including acidity and saltiness |
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Measure isotopic ratios of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen |
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Survey area and trench geology |
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Look at microscopic structure of soil and ice |
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Understand if sedimentary layers exist |
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Measure ground and ice temperature and heat transfer |
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Look at daily and seasonal variations of temperature and pressure |
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Measure humidity |
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Measure wind speed |
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Examine clouds and atmospheric dust |
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Look for short-lived liquid water in exposed ice layer |
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Measure presence of life supporting elements |
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Measure chemical energy potential |
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Measure amount of organics |
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Measure organic concentration versus depth |
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Measure amount of oxidizing material |
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Determine carbon isotope ratios for evidence of biological potential |
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Key:
SSI = Surface Stereo Imager
RAC = Robotic Arm Camera
MARDI = Mars Descent Imager
TEGA = Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer
MECA = Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer
WC = Wet Chemistry Experiment
M = Microscopy, including the Optical Microscope and the Atomic Force Microscope
TECP = Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe
MET = Meteorological Station
Links
More Videos
More Objectives
Web Search
phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science03.php - 20k
phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science04.php - 26k
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