Well, it's approaching, so it's about time for a special-purpose topic to mark the Phoenix Mars mission progress toward launch, and entry in into cruise mode.
Launch countdown:
22 days 13 hours 54 minutes 00 seconds
Order of Kilopi
Well, it's approaching, so it's about time for a special-purpose topic to mark the Phoenix Mars mission progress toward launch, and entry in into cruise mode.
Launch countdown:
22 days 13 hours 54 minutes 00 seconds
Established Member
I think I'm seeing binary.Phoenix Mars mission countdown and launch thread
01101001
Today 03:07 AM
by 01101001 Go to last post
0 8
Phoenix Mars mission countdown and launch thread
01101001
Today 03:06 AM
by 01101001
Order of Kilopi
One thread good. Two threads twice as good!Originally Posted by loglo
I think I'm seeing binary.
(There I was, surrounded by topics... The submission of this one took for.........ever, and I must have hit Submit a second time. After minutes of grinding, I never did see it finish. That's rare in my experience. I backed out and checked for the topic, and left well enough alone, intending to try later. I checked once in a while and eventually one, and then quickly the second, showed up. I scheduled one for delete-me execution, if a kindly moderator will clean up my mess.)
Countdown:
22 days 12 hours 22 minutes 30 seconds
Established Member
The robotic arm looks great, the Phoenix will also act as a weather station - recording temperature, windspeed, pressure etc on Mars
Order of Kilopi
Phoenix Mars mission
Launch countdown:
20 days 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds
Too exact to pass up. Hmm, it's my local midnight, Pacific Daylight time (and Mountain Standard, for Arizona). They're probably just counting down to the first day of the launch window.
Order of Dr. Kilopi
I hope they use the metric system this time.
Established Member
So the lander uses rockets to retard its rate at landing, but then it doesn't move. Won't the rockets contaminate the soil it's analyzing?
Order of Kilopi
A little bit - yes - but they know the exact chemical composition of the exhaust and thus can compensate appropriately.
Doug
Established Member
I'm not sure what part of this mission is more fascinating , the lander itself OR the Sky Crane being used to place this machine on the planets surface , I am just a bit more than giddy to see this one!
Established Member
The Sky Crane concept is being developed for the Mars Science Laboratory that will be launched in the fall of 2009. Phoenix will use rockets mounted to the lander for the last part of its Entry, Descent and Landing phase.
Established Member
Oh yeah , Drat! I have to wait several more years to see if that Sky Crane contraption works! Thanks for the reminder!
Order of Kilopi
Phoenix Mars mission
Launch countdown:
14 days 06 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds
Just over 2 weeks.
Order of Kilopi
Phoenix Mars mission
Launch countdown:
10 days 05 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds
Order of Kilopi
Phoenix Mars mission
Launch countdown:
7 days 02 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds
Just over a week.
Order of Kilopi
Phoenix Mars mission
Launch countdown:
4 days 03 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds
Established Member
For people in the Phoenix/Tucson area, there is a celebration at the Pima Air and Space Museum:
Phoenix Mars Mission Launch Celebration
9 A.M. TO 1 P.M. AUGUST 4TH HANGAR 1 South
Activities - Displays - Demonstrations, Solar observing telescopes, Live communication from Cape Canaveral
Scheduled launch is a 2:35 Tucson time...
Order of Kilopi
As Cugel spotted, over in Phoenix Mission, launch rescheduled from Friday morning to Saturday morning.
Spaceflight Now Mission Status: TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2007
U of A's slow on the draw. Countdown clock doesn't appear to reflect this. U of A Phoenix Mars missionAnticipated stormy weather in the Cape Canaveral area this afternoon has caused a ripple effect in preparations to launch the Phoenix lander bound for Mars, forcing NASA to postpone the liftoff aboard a Delta 2 rocket by 24 hours.
Originally set for early Friday, the launch has been rescheduled for Saturday morning. Liftoff will be possible during a pair of one-second launch windows at 5:26 and 6:02 a.m. EDT.
Launch Countdown:
2 Days 15 Hours 48 Minutes 00 Seconds (probably incorrect)
NASA Phoenix Mars mission
Last edited by 01101001; 2007-Jul-31 at 08:31 PM. Reason: Add link to NASA Phoenix page
Order of Kilopi
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars mission still doesn't seem to reflect that the launch has slipped to Saturday morning (local).
Launch Countdown:
1 Days 17 Hours 16 Minutes 00 Seconds
So, I'd say it is closer to, corrected, Launch Countdown:
2 Days 17 Hours 07 Minutes 00 Seconds
NASA Phoenix Mars Mission has the (Eastern Daylight Time) launch times:
Launch
Aug. 4
Attempts: 5:26 and 6:02 a.m.
Last edited by 01101001; 2007-Aug-01 at 06:28 PM.
Order of Kilopi
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars mission appears to have adjusted their countdown clock to reflect a Saturday morning 0526 EDT, 0226 PDT, 0926 UTC attempt (but the clock seems to target a launch a few minutes earlier).
Launch Countdown:
1 Days 15 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds
For reference, from Planetary Society Blog, 2 launch attempts per day, about 35 minutes apart, for a few days, UTC:
Date Instant One Instant Two
August 4 09:26:31 10:02:55
August 5 09:17:23 09:53:59
August 6 09:07:48 09:44:32
August 7 08:57:36 09:34:29
August 8 08:46:45 09:23:52
Established Member
The CSA's clock has something different 1 13
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/exploration/phoenix.asp
While University of Arizona says 1 10
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/
At time of posting.
Order of Kilopi
I hope Canada isn't 3 hours late for the launch. Are they using one of those metric clocks?
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission
Launch Countdown:
1 Days 01 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds
25 hours
===
There is a Phoenix Mission Webcast scheduled for August 3, 11:30 AM EDT
Join host Tiffany Nail as she takes you on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour to see how the Phoenix spacecraft and Delta II rocket are prepared for launch as this exciting new mission to Mars is poised to take us another step closer to understanding the mysteries of the red planet. In addition, the experts are set to answer some of your questions that were submitted to our question board, so watch the webcast to learn more.
Established Member
My alma mater is involved in this mission, as well.
http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/R...p?Release=1269
York University leads the Canadian science team responsible for the design and construction of the lander’s sophisticated weather station, which will gather critical data about the weather and climate on Mars. This meteorological information package (MET) will provide a comprehensive picture of Martian weather at the landing site. It was constructed with $37 million in funding from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). ... Richard Hornsey, Associate Dean of York’s School of Engineering, says the Phoenix Mission is an exciting combination of space science and space engineering. “It reflects the unique expertise in these fields at York at both the research and undergraduate levels,” he says.
The MET package was developed in partnership with the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, Optech and the Geological Survey of Canada, with international collaboration from The Finnish Meteorological Institute. MDA Space Missions is the prime contractor for the meteorological station, in partnership with Optech, which manufactured the lidar. Aarhus University (Denmark) constructed part of the wind sensor.
Order of Kilopi
Phoenix stuff on NASA TV today
According to the schedule at Live Events, News and Special Event Programs (All times EDT):
August 3, Friday
- 12 p.m. - Phoenix Mission Webcast - HQ - (Public and Media Channels)
- 1 p.m. - Phoenix Mission Webcast - HQ - (Public and Media Channels)
- 7 p.m. - Replay of Phoenix Prelaunch Press Conference - HQ (Public and Media Channels)
- 8 p.m. - Replay of Phoenix Mission Science Briefing - HQ (Public and Media Channels)
August 4, Saturday
- 3:30 a.m. - Coverage and Commentary of Phoenix Launch (launch is scheduled for 5:35 a.m.) - KSC (Media and Education Channels)
Watch NASA TV
Launch Countdown
0 Days 19 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds
Order of Kilopi
1:00 PM EDT replay of Phoenix Mission webcast recently ended. Didn't catch it all. At end Peter Smith, PI, in recorded format was answering questions, probably off the Internet.
It remains available on-demand at Phoenix Mission Webcast.
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission
Launch Countdown:
0 Days 16 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds
Order of Kilopi
There are built-in pauses in the countdown; So if UofA is linked to the countdown, and CSA is counting down til launch time, this might the decrepancy. The other possibility is that it takes light longer to travel to Canada than most of us realize
Order of Kilopi
Nope.
The Canadian countdown clock is, and has stayed, simply about 3 hours behind. It will have to run fast (or be advanced) to hit zero at the next launch opportunity.
I doubt the Arizona clock is tied to NASA. It was off by a day for a long bit when the launch slipped to Saturday. When properly set, it reflects a real-time countdown, without delays and holds.
For instance, as of this edit, at 1800 UTC, University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission
Launch Countdown:
0 Days 15 Hours 26 Minutes 00 Seconds
Reflecting the first launch opportunity of Saturday 0926 UTC.
Order of Kilopi
NASA mission news: Next Departure for Mars Stands Ready to Fly
"We have worked for four years to get to this point, so we are all very excited," said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena. "Our attention after launch will be focused on flying the spacecraft to our selected landing site, preparing for surface operations, and continuing our relentless examination and testing for the all-important descent and landing on May 25 of next year."
Phoenix will travel 679 million kilometers (422 million miles) in an outward arc from Earth to Mars. It will determine whether icy soil on far northern Mars has conditions that have ever been suitable for life.
Studies of potential landing sites by spacecraft orbiting Mars led NASA to approve a site at 68.35 degrees north latitude -- the equivalent of northern Alaska -- and 233.0 degrees east longitude.
===
Google Mars map for context. (I think I built the URL right, for 68.35 N 233 E.)
===
NASA Phoenix Mars Mission: Latest News: Phoenix Set for Early Liftoff Saturday
Poised atop a Delta II rocket, the Phoenix spacecraft is on track for an early-morning liftoff and the beginning of its journey toward Mars. The weather forecast remains favorable, with only a 20 percent chance of violations at launch time. At the Phoenix prelaunch news conference on Thursday, NASA's Launch Director Chuck Dovale reported that the launch team is ready to go. Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo said the forecast calls for scattered clouds, light ground and upper-level winds, and good visibility.
Launch Countdown:
0 Days 12 Hours 39 Minutes 00 Seconds
Last edited by 01101001; 2007-Aug-03 at 11:28 PM. Reason: corrected a latitude
Order of Kilopi
NASA Launch Coverage Blog:
===Live countdown coverage will begin [...] about two hours prior to liftoff.
The launch is currently scheduled for Aug. 4 with two launch attempts at 5:26 and 6:02 a.m. EDT.
From SpaceflightNow, a Phoenix launch timeline that will probably come in handy when things get moving:
===T-00:00 Liftoff
T+01:03.1 Ground SRM Burnout
T+01:05.5 Air-Lit SRM Ignition
T+01:06.0 Jettison Ground SRMs
T+02:11.5 Jettison Air-Lit SRMs
T+04:23.3 Main Engine Cutoff
T+04:31.3 Stage Separation
T+04:36.8 Second Stage Ignition
T+05:03.0 Jettison Payload Fairing
T+09:20.5 Second Stage Cutoff 1
T+73:47.2 Second Stage Restart
T+76:02.3 Second Stage Cutoff 2
T+77:05.5 Stage Separation
T+77:42.8 Third Stage Ignition
T+79:10.3 Third Stage Burnout
T+84:10.3 Phoenix Separation
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission
Launch Countdown:
0 Days 10 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds
Order of Kilopi
NASA TV
Replay of prelaunch press conference has been underway 30 minutes.
Replay of science briefing is coming up.
Watch NASA TV
Order of Kilopi
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission
Launch Countdown:
0 Days 05 Hours 30 Minutes 00 Seconds
Game on.
Destination: Planned landing area
Other recent images (from webcast, press conference, science briefing)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
