Phoenix – The First Mars Scout Mission
- Paper number
IAC-08.A3.3.A5
- Author
Mr. Robert Shotwell, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Barry Goldstein, Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of Technology, United States
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Abstract— As the first of the new Mars Scouts missions, the Phoenix project was selected by NASA in August of 2003. Four years later, almost to the day, Phoenix was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station and successfully injected into an interplanetary trajectory on its way to Mars. This paper will highlight some of the key changes since the 2005 IAF paper of the same name, as well as performance through cruise, and ultimately landing at the north pole of Mars. Phoenix “Follows the water” responding directly to the recently published data from Dr. William Boynton, PI (and Phoenix co-I) of the Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS). GRS data indicate extremely large quantities of water ice (up to 50% by mass) within the upper 50 cm of the northern polar regolith. Phoenix will land within the north polar region at 68.3°N, 124.6°W identified by GRS to harbor near surface water ice and provide in-situ confirmation of this extraordinary find. Our mission will investigate water in all its phases, and will investigate the history of water as evidenced in the soil characteristics that will be carefully examined by the powerful suite of onboard instrumentation. Access to the critical subsurface region expected to contain this information is made possible by a third generation robotic arm capable of excavating the expected Martian regolith to a depth of 1m. Phoenix has four primary science objectives: 1) Determine the polar climate and weather, interaction with the surface, and composition of the lower atmosphere around 70° N for at least 90 sols focusing on water, ice, dust, noble gases, and CO2. Determine the atmospheric characteristics during descent through the atmosphere. 2) Characterize the geomorphology and active processes shaping the northern plains and the physical properties of the near surface regolith focusing on the role of water. 3) Determine the aqueous mineralogy and chemistry as well as the adsorbed gases and organic content of the regolith. Verify the Odyssey discovery of near-surface ice. 4) Characterize the history of water, ice, and the polar climate. Determine the past and present biological potential of the surface and subsurface environments. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. DEVELOPMENT PHASE ACTIVITIES ERREUR ! 3. ENTRY DESCENTLANDING MATURITY 4. CONCLUSION REFERENCES BIOGRAPHIES 1. INTRODUCTION The first of a new series of highly ambitious missions to explore Mars, Phoenix was selected in August 2003 to demonstrate the NASA Mars Program’s effort at responsive missions to supplement the Program’s systematic, long term planned exploration of Mars. These competed, PI-led missions are intended to be lower cost missions that are responsive to discoveries made through this systematic program of exploration. Mr. Peter Smith from the University of Arizona is the Principle Investigator for Phoenix. Peter Smith has a long history of Mars science and has been actively involved in the exploration of Mars from the Mars Global Surveyor through the development of the HiRISE telescope being flown on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Phoenix “Follows the water” responding directly to the recently published data from Dr. William Boynton, PI [1,2,3,4] (and Phoenix co-I) of the Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS). GRS data indicate extremely large quantities of water ice (up to 50% by mass, Fig 1) within the upper 50 cm of the northern polar regolith. Phoenix, a re-flight if the inherited Mars Surveyor program 2001 lander, will land within this north polar region (65N – 72N) identified by GRS and provide in-situ confirmation of this extraordinary find. Phoenix will investigate water in all its phases, and will investigate the history of water as evidenced in the soil characteristics that will be carefully examined by the powerful suite of onboard instrumentation. Access to the critical subsurface region expected to contain this information is made possible by a third generation robotic arm capable of excavating the expected Martian regolith to a depth of 1m.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.A3.3.A5.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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