Welcome to SpaceInfo.com.au's Mars Phoenix coverage
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Latest news from Mars30-31 Aug 2008 POSTCARD: Phoenix' work area in colourA newly-released colour image show the work area around the Phoenix Mars Lander.
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29 Aug 2008 It's all uphill for the Opportunity rover on MarsNASA's Mars Exploration rover Opportunity is heading back out to the Red Planet's surrounding plains nearly a year after descending into a large martian crater.
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28 Aug 2008 Phoenix' needles in a martian haystackNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is equipped with a set of special needles that can test the ground or the air for traces of water and ice.
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27 Aug 2008 Ninety days are up, but Phoenix is going strongThe next sample of martian soil being grabbed for analysis is coming from a trench about three times deeper than any other trench NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has dug.
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26 Aug 2008 POSTCARD: The cones of MarsAre they the remains of ash volcanoes? Or maybe eruptions of underground mud? Whatever their nature, they are the Cones of Mars.
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25 Aug 2008 Mars rover driving test is a wheel successEngineers have been testing the wheels and suspension of the Mars Science Laboratory rover, due for launch to the Red Planet in 2009.
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23-24 Aug 2008 Phoenix oven to bake fresh soil sampleNASA's Phoenix Lander has scooped up a soil sample from an intermediate depth between the ground surface and delivered it to a laboratory oven on the spacecraft.
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22 Aug 2008 Phoenix digs new trenchesNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is continuing to dig into Mars, looking for new materials to analyse and examining the soil and ice subsurface structure.
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19-21 Aug 2008 POSTCARD: Dunes and polygons on MarsIn the far northern wastelands on Mars, shifting dunes covered ice-broken fields of rock and dust.
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16-18 Aug 2008 Martian dust under the microscopeNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has taken the first-ever image of a single particle of Mars' ubiquitous dust, using its atomic force microscope.
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14-15 Aug 2008 Soil studies continue at Phoenix Mars Lander siteVibration of the screen above a laboratory oven on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has succeeded in getting enough soil into the oven to begin analysis.
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12-13 Aug 2008 Phoenix' four-pronged attack on MarsNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is getting stuck into its job with a multi-pronged approach.
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11 Aug 2008 Phoenix' soil studies continueNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is ploughing ahead with its trench digging and soil sampling tests.
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9 Aug 2008 Martian clays tell story of a wet pastLayers of clay-rich rock have been found in Mars' Mawrth Vallis, suggesting that abundant water was once present on the Red Planet.
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7-8 Aug 2008 Scientists quash rumours of Mars life announcementMars scientists have taken the unusual step of releasing preliminary results to quash rumours of an impending announcement about the habitability of the Red Planet.
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6 Aug 2008 NASA to release new chemical results from MarsScientists are analysing results from soil samples delivered several weeks ago to science instruments on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander to understand the landing site's soil chemistry and mineralogy.
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5 Aug 2008 Dramatic layered rock region on MarsOne of Mars' huge craters has dramatic, distinct layers of sedimentary rock, formed by the ceaseless martian wind.
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4 Aug 2008 Phoenix: the view from aboveNASA has combined more than 400 images taken by the Phoenix Mars Lander to produce a unique 'top-down' view of the landing site.
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2-3 Aug 2008 Phoenix confirms water on Mars!Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample dug from under the surface.
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1 Aug 2008 Sharpest images of martian moon PhobosThe Mars Express spacecraft has made a close fly-by of the intriguing martian moon Phobos, zipping past at three kilometres per second at a distance of only 93 kilometres.
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31 July 2008 'Snow Queen' has started cracking upClose-up images from Phoenix' Robotic Arm Camera show that a feature called 'Snow Queen' beneath the lander visibly changed sometime between mid-June and mid-July.
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30 July 2008 Despite sticky soil, Phoenix sticks with itScientists and engineers on NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission are trying to work out how to deliver a sticky, icy sample to one of the spacecraft's laboratory instruments.
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29 July 2008 Phoenix to try again with icy sampleNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's was to try a revised collection-and-delivery sequence on Monday with the goal of depositing an icy soil sample in the lander's oven.
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28 July 2008 Phoenix needs to work on its deliveryThe Phoenix Mars Lander's robotic arm collected a more than adequate amount of icy soil for baking in one of the lander's ovens but will need to adjust how it delivers samples.
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26-27 July 2008 Trench on Mars ready for next testNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has groomed the bottom of a shallow trench to prepare for collecting a sample from a layer where the soil may contain frozen water.
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25 July 2008 Phoenix prepares for next sample analysisThe latest activities of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have moved the mission closer to analysing a sample of material, possibly icy soil.
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24 July 2008 Phoenix finishes 33-hour marathonNASA's Mars Phoenix Lander recently stayed awake for 33 hours, completing tasks with the robotic arm and making atmospheric observations.
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23 July 2008 Mars Lander works through the nightTo co-ordinate with observations made by a spacecraft flying overhead, the Phoenix Mars Lander had to stay awake all night for the first time. Progress on Mars Sample Return mission conceptThe first robotic mission to return samples to Earth from Mars has taken a further step toward realisation with the publication of a mission design report by the iMARS Working Group.
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21-22 July 2008 Phoenix lander continues tests with raspThe Phoenix Mars Lander has been instructed to do a second, larger test of its motorised rasp to produce and gather shavings of frozen ground.
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19-20 July 2008 Mars Express to rendezvous with martian moonScientists and engineers are preparing the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express for a pair of close fly-bys of the martian moon Phobos.
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18 July 2008 Phoenix collects sample from frozen layerA rasp on Phoenix' robotic arm has successfully drilled into cement-hard frozen soil and loosened material that was collected in the lander's scoop. Spacecraft reveals wet environments on ancient MarsData from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed that the Red Planet once hosted vast lakes, flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life.
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17 July 2008 Phoenix begins rasping Mars' frozen groundA powered rasp on the back of the robotic arm scoop of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is being tested for the first time on Mars in gathering sample shavings of ice.
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16 July 2008 Phoenix lander extends trenchNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is using its Robotic Arm to enlarge an exposure of hard subsurface material expected to yield a sample of ice-rich soil for analysis in one of the lander's ovens.
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14 July 2008 Phoenix uses soil probe and Swiss scopeThe Phoenix Mars Lander has touched martian soil with a fork-like probe for the first time and begun using a microscope that examines the shapes of tiny particles.
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12-13 July 2008 Sample-collection tests continueNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's science and engineering teams are testing methods to get an icy sample into the Robotic Arm scoop.
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10-11 July 2008 POSTCARD: Two scoops pleaseAn image from the Phoenix Lander's Surface Stereo Imager shows the Wet Chemistry Laboratory just after receiving its second soil sample.
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9 July 2008 Phoenix to test second soil sampleThe Phoenix Mars Lander has used its Robotic Arm to deliver a second sample of soil for analysis by the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory.
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Latest news from Mars4-6 July 2008 Phoenix to bake ice-rich soil next weekThe next soil sample delivered to NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyser (TEGA) will be ice-rich.
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3 July 2008 Phoenix finds 'almost perfect' soil for analysisNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has scraped up little piles of icy soil that scientists say are ideal for the lander's analytical instruments
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1-2 July 2008 POSTCARD: A view of MarsTo celebrate the near-alignment of both Earth and Mars' solstices, the Phoenix mission team has released a wide view of the Red Planet's surface.
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30 June 2008 Phoenix gets into a scrape on MarsThe Phoenix Mars Lander has scraped down to icy soil, confirming that surface soil, subsurface soil and icy soil can be sampled at a single trench.
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28-29 June 2008 Phoenix' first 'wet science' results roll inNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has performed its first 'wet chemistry' on martian soil, returning a wealth of data to waiting scientists. A close up look at martian soilThe Phoenix lander's Robotic Arm Camera has taken a detailed look at the martian soil, seeing detail as fine as 30 microns.
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27 June 2008 Mars once had drizzle or dew, new analysis saysA new analysis of martian soil data suggests that there was once enough water in the planet's atmosphere for a light drizzle or dew to hit the ground. Mars rover's midwinter energy dietNASA's Mars rover Spirit has had to survive on a tiny daily energy budget, just enough to keep a microwave oven going for seven minutes.
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26 June 2008 Phoenix' chemistry lab starts workThe first martian soil sample has been placed into Phoenix' wet chemistry laboratory for analysis. Mars has the largest crater in the Solar SystemNew analysis of Mars' terrain reveals what appears to be by far the largest impact crater ever found in the Solar System. Ice spy with my little eye…A special detector aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft is helping scientists keep track of Mars' two different kinds of ices. |
25 June 2008 Phoenix prepares to 'wet' its appetiteJust add water and stir: Phoenix' recipe for discovering what chemicals are present in the martian soil. Lasers could find life on MarsA team of scientists has developed a technique they say could be used to identify the existence of life on Mars. Phoenix digs its homeA wide-angle view shows earthlings where Phoenix is hard at work on the Red Planet. |
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23-24 June 2008 Phoenix makes dirt deliveryPhoenix has beamed back images showing that it has successfully delivered soil to the input of the lander's Optical Microscope. Meet Snow WhiteA colour image has been released of the Snow White trench dug on Mars by the Phoenix lander.
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21-22 June 2008 Mars, on the rocks!Phoenix mission scientists have confirmed the discovery of ice beneath the martian surface. Phoenix, and the case of the vanishing iceCrumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench dug on Mars, convincing scientists that the material was almost certainly frozen water.
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20 June 2008 Phoenix strikes computer glitchNASA's Phoenix Mars lander is having some trouble with its memory. POSTCARD: Layered rocks on MarsChaotic and disrupted areas of Mars present a puzzle for geologists.
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19 June 2008 Phoenix digs first science trenchPhoenix has begun digging in an area called 'Wonderland', which scientists have been preserving for real science tests. Download printable Mars postersThe University of Arizona, which leads the Phoenix mission, has produced three posters you can download and print out. Martian dust: gone with the windMars Phoenix has turned its camera to the sky to spot dust blown on the wind. |
18 June 2008 Phoenix bakes sample, arm digs deeperPhoenix is making progress with its first soil test sample, and at the same time is doing more digging into the martian surface. Phoenix shows a bit of depthScientists are taking a close look at the trench they've dug on Mars. |
16-17 June 2008 Phoenix digs inWatch a movie of Phoenix' robot arm digging into the martian surface. Here's a scoop for youPhoenix Robotic Arm delivers a scoopful of soil to the lander's Optical Microscoe instrument. Phoenix sticks to its purposeThe Optical Microscope on the Phoenix lander offers a side-by-side comparison of dust samples.
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14-15 June 2008 Phoenix microscope inspects first samplesNew pictures from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander provide the most magnified view ever seen of martian soil. Another soil success for PhoenixNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has successfully sprinkled a spoonful of martian soil into the spacecraft's robotic microscope. New technology in hunt for life on MarsScientists looking for evidence of life on Mars have turned to 'lab-on-a-chip' technology to help with their mission.
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13 June 2008 Dodo and Baby Bear in colourNASA has released a close-up colour version of two trenches dug on Mars by the Phoenix lander. The day Phoenix snappedAn image returned from Mars by the Phoenix spacecraft shows a cable that snapped after landing.
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12 June 2008 Phoenix' oven gets its fill at last!NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has filled its first chemical 'oven' with martian soil. Sprinkle technique gets go aheadPhoenix will sprinkle a spoonful of martian soil into place for a closer look by the spacecraft's microscope. Mars Phoenix gets all shook upThe Phoenix Mars Lander has tested a 'sprinkle' method for delivering small samples of soil to its instruments. Landing site choice looms for next Mars spacecraftScientists and engineers with the Mars Science Laboratory mission are narrowing their list of candidate landing sites. |
11 June 2008 Attempt to unclog Phoenix experimentSpace engineers are trying to work out a way to deal with unexpectedly clumpy soil on Mars. Springtime on MarsUnavoidable litter. A spring used to help release Phoenix' robot arm is now sitting under the craft.
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10 June 2008 Phoenix to get the shakesPhoenix continues to sift for soil samples and image the terrain surrounding the landing site. Soil sample gets stuckPhoenix is having a little trouble getting soil samples into its analysing instrument. First soil sample for ready for analysisPhoenix is preparing to bake and sniff its first soil samples.
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7-9 June 2008 Phoenix gets super close-up look at MarsA microscope on the Phoenix lander has taken images of sand particles with the greatest detail ever seen on another planet. Phoenix told: dig herePhoenix mission scientists have marked out the areas where they'll dig first. |
6 June 2008 Third scoop lucky for Mars landerMission controllers happy with progress being made by Phoenix and its robotic scoop. Mars predictions were accurateSimulations correctly predicted that Phoenix' pulsed jets would strip the soil to the subsurface ice or rock as the craft touched down. |
5 June 2008 Mars soil sample seen up closeClose inspection of a martian soil sample reveals tantalising hints of possible ice. May I have a second scoop please?Mission control has told Phoenix to try lifting another soil sample, after some of the first one stuck to the scoop.
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Latest news from Mars4 June 2008 Phoenix lander scoops up martian soilThe Phoenix Lander has lifted its first scoop of martian soil as a test of its robotic arm Was Mars too salty to support life?Salt deposits suggest Mars' salinity was above what terrestrial life can tolerate. Are we contaminating Mars?Where mankind boldly goes, bacteria will follow. |
3 June 2008 Mars lander sees possible iceNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has reached out and touched the martian soil for the first time. Aussie facility to aid search for life on MarsA multi-million dollar new facility will play a key role in the search for life on Mars.
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31 May — 1 June 2008 Mars weather report: it's dusty up thereData from Mars shows dust being lofted up to an altitude of 3.5 kilometres. Phoenix puts arm and other tools to workNASA's Mars lander is preparing its instruments for the first science operations.
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29-30 May 2008 Phoenix to flex its armScientists have sent commands to Phoenix to unstow its robotic arm and take more images of its landing site. Phoenix seen on the ground!As the Phoenix lander gets ready to begin moving its robotic arm, an orbiting spacecraft has captured images of it on the ground. Weather on Mars: Sunny, clear skies, coldPhoenix has begun issuing weather reports from the martian arctic circle. |
28 May 2008 Descent of the PhoenixScientists have released an improved image showing Phoenix descending to the martian surface. Permafrost on Earth … and Mars?Images sent back by Mars Phoenix show startling familiarity to polar regions on Earth. Ultraflex solar panels provide critical power to PhoenixA new type of solar cell array is being used on the Mars Phoenix lander.
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27 May 2008 Mars lander imaged during descent!NASA has released an amazing image of the Phoenix lander descending to the martian surface by parachute. Mars Phoenix in good health after landingMars Phoenix today sent pictures showing itself in good condition after making the first successful landing in a polar region of the Red Planet.
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26 May 2008 All systems go for Mars landingMars Phoenix has been certified as being in perfect health for its Monday morning landing on the Red Planet. Mars lander will get help from friendsWhen NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander prepares for landing on May 26, 2008, it won't be alone. Three spacecraft in orbit will serve as a welcoming committee. Mars Phoenix to land in Green ValleyThe Red Planet's Green Valley is where Mars Phoenix mission to Mars will search for climate clues. Earth dishes to keep a sharp eye on Mars LanderHuge radio telescopes on Earth will pick up Mars Phoenix' weak signal, leading to a more precise determination of its location on the Red Planet. Instrument aboard lander will reveal Mars' true coloursMars Phoenix is carrying two special tools to give scientists their best look at the Red Planet's true colours. Heat-sensing camera helps Mars landingA heat camera has helped find a safe landing site for Mars Phoenix, and is giving flight controllers essential data on the atmosphere to ensure a safe touchdown. Secret of life on Mars will be down in the dirtMars Phoenix will test conditions underground to see if they were once suitable for life as we know it. |
Earlier Mars storiesMars rover finds once-habitable environment on the Red PlanetNASA's Mars rover Spirit has found a once-habitable environment where liquid water and the energy needed for life were present. Satellite data says Mars' crust is coldThe crust and upper mantle of Mars are stiffer and colder than previously thought. Phoenix Mars mission ready for landingThe Mars Phoenix spacecraft is less than two weeks away from landing on the Red Planet. POSTCARD: Watching the seasons pass on MarsJust as migrating birds herald the changing seasons on Earth, so do sand dunes show seasonal change on Mars. Mars mission on track for May 26 landingNASA's Mars Phoenix probe is flying so accurately that mission controllers have skipped a planned tweak to the trajectory. Mars rovers are getting bigger!As the type of science done gets more complicated, rovers sent to Mars are becoming bigger and bigger. Windy weather for Mars Phoenix' landingDust devils towering hundreds of metres in the air, have been spotted at the Mars Phoenix spacecraft's landing site. Spirit keeps up its spirits on MarsPlucky Mars rover, Spirit, is preparing for a long, cold martian winter. Opportunity dips its toesNASA's Mars rover, Opportunity, is treading carefully as it negotiates some sandy terrain. POSTCARD: Lava scars on Mars' giant volcanoOlympus Mons, the biggest volcano in the Solar System, is built from multiple layers of lava. |
Mars feature storiesThe road to MarsWhen the Mars Phoenix spacecraft touches down on May 26, it will open a new window into our exploration of the Red Planet. > Find out more about the challenges facing the mission. |
Water, water somewhere…so where should we land?NASA has to find a spot to land its next Mars rover. Scientists are pouring over images of the red planet, trying to find places that could help them understand Mars' watery past. > Find out more about how they're doing it. |
Spaceinfo.com.au news stories are updated mid-evening the day prior to publication date.
