NASA Hopes For Safe Landing Of Phoenix Mars Lander
The Phoenix Mars Lander from NASA is making its towards the surface of Mars and is scheduled to land in less than two weeks. During landing the probe will try to avoid the crash landing that its predecessor – the Mars Polar Lander – experienced.
“This is not a trip to grandma’s house,” said Ed Weiler, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. “Putting a spacecraft safely on Mars is hard and risky.”
The managers of the Phoenix Lander said that the time of descent are “seven minutes of terror” – which will determine what will happen to the spacecraft and the mission that is costing them $420 million dollars.
The spacecraft – which is equipped with a robotic arm – will land on Mars north pole may 25th where it will study the water ice and help researchers to determine whether or not the region once supported primitive life.