Phoenix on Mars: Extended Mission

[01101001]

At the sound of the tone, Phoenix will have spent 90 sols on Mars, the nominal mission length.

Bip... Bip... Bip... Beep!

From University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission, the Current Time on Mars clock reads:

Sol 90, 00:00:00

We are in overtime. (Yeah, I checked. They started counting with sol 0.)

Welcome to the extended mission.

Congratulations to all on the Phoenix Team, around the world.

So far, so good.

So far... So good!

Useful links:
NASA Phoenix Mission
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission: Lander Gallery Index
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission: Press Release Gallery Index
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission: Mosaic Gallery Index
JPL Phoenix Mission News
NASA Phoenix Multimedia
NASA Phoenix Twitter Feed
Gizmodo Guest Blogger: Phoenix Mars Lander
CSA Phoenix Mars Mission
Planetary Society: Phoenix Mission
Planetary Society: Phoenix Non-SSI Raw Images
Planetary Society: Phoenix Sol-By-Sol Summary
Planetary Society: Weblog
Emily Lakdawalla Ustream video chat (Wednesdays)
Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory
Unmanned Spaceflight Forum: Phoenix 2007/8
BBC Science: Phoenix diary
Google Mars landing site
NASA TV (or NASA TV Yahoo! source or high-resolution)
NASA TV Media Channel

The preceding BAUT Forum topic was: Phoenix on Mars, with current last article there.

[Swift]

Ah gee, I was just getting used to the old place, and we have to pack up and move. I'll never make any friends at my new school.

[01101001]

JPL Phoenix Mission News: Digs Deeper As Third Month Nears End (August 25):

The 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.

On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the spacecraft will finish the 90 Martian days (or "sols") originally planned as its primary mission and will continue into a mission extension through September, as announced by NASA in July. Phoenix landed on May 25.

"As we near what we originally expected to be the full length of the mission, we are all thrilled with how well the mission is going," said Phoenix Project Manger Barry Goldstein of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Phoenix's main task for Sol 90 is to scoop up a sample of soil from the bottom of a trench called "Stone Soup," which is about 18 centimeters, or 7 inches deep. On a later sol, the lander's robotic arm will sprinkle soil from the sample into the third cell of the wet chemistry laboratory. This deck-mounted laboratory, part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA), has previously used two of its four soil-testing cells.

"In the first two cells we analyzed samples from the surface and the ice interface, and the results look similar. Our objective for Cell 3 is to use it as an exploratory cell to look at something that might be different," said JPL's Michael Hecht, lead scientist for MECA. "The appeal of Stone Soup is that this deep area may collect and concentrate different kinds of materials."
[...]
"The trough between polygons is sort of a trap where things can accumulate," Hecht said. "Over a long timescale, there may even be circulation of material sinking at the margins and rising at the center."

The science team had considered two finalist sites as sources for the next sample to be delivered to the wet chemistry lab. This past weekend, Stone Soup won out. "We had a shootout between Stone Soup and white stuff in a trench called 'Upper Cupboard,'" Hecht said. "If we had been able to confirm that the white material was a salt-rich deposit, we would have analyzed that, but we were unable to confirm that with various methods."

Both candidates for the sampling location offered a chance to gain more information about salt distribution in the Phoenix work area, which could be an indicator of whether or not liquid water has been present. Salt would concentrate in places that may have been wet.

More there.

[KaiYeves]

The Summer of the Phoenix isn't over yet!

[01101001]

Sol 90 Raw Images have begun arriving. Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory labels Sol 90:

Complete primary mission. Document Golden Goose sample site in Stone Soup; remote sensing of workspace and sky

0050 local time:


Edit: Later, this was processed for a press release image:

[01101001]

From Sol 88 images comments:

Looks like they might have made a delivery to a Wet Chemistry Lab cell.

They scooped a sample on Sol 87, probably from Upper Cupboard and stared at it for a while, more this sol, maybe looking for signs of salts, and then hovered over MECA Wet.

Nope. That apparently was a delivery pose, a practice run. No delivery happened. According to today's press release (above), Upper Cupboard sorta flunked the salt test (described in press release Phoenix Mars Lander Explores Site by Trenching). It sounds like there was some white stuff there, but maybe no visible salt-like behavior, like an increase in amount when the ice sublimated. (Edit: Or TECP indications of sufficient saltiness.)

Instead the next MECA Wet sample will come from the bottom of the deep Stone Soup trench and signs point to a delivery on Sol 92.

[01101001]

Sol 89 Raw Images [...]
Delivery poses, TEGA oven #0, sol 64 and sol 89:

Now this, from Sol 90 Raw Images, looks more like a pose over TEGA oven #1.


I expect they're lining up the next TEGA delivery. When the time comes, I hope oven #1's doors open as widely as neighboring #0's.

Oven #1 has a messy door, from the successful attempt to sneak a sample into barely open oven #5 opposite. I wonder how much soil will be flung out of the way upon door opening and how much will fall in.

[George]

0050 local time:

Is that a reflection I see just above the Sun? If so, is that common?

[Sure nice to see a white Sun, too. ]

[Swift]

Looks to me something closer to a sun pillar or halo, maybe caused by either dust or ice crystals.

[01101001]

hyperextended 2 fingers so will ee cummings for a bit while cold pack is on.

light spot could be just a clearing in the ever-present martian dust. it's a very low angle shot through lots of dust at horizon.

Edit: (Cold pack temporarily off. Caps are back!) By the way...

The Planetary Society Weblog: Phoenix sol 76 update [...] said:

One more random item: I asked Mark [Lemmon, Texas A&M imaging person] when Phoenix is going to see its first sunset. He said: "Center of the Sun hits the ideal horizon for the first time sol 92. That makes the first grazing ~90/91 and the first setting ~94. The true visible horizon is ~0.5 degrees higher due to the hill to the northwest (haven't checked the 0.5 deg figure that closely). That advances things by 5 sols. I haven't factored in the possibility that first setting is after midnight due to the terrain slope. We should do some midnight imaging sol 79/80 [i.e. they are planning that right now to take place overnight nextersol]. This will be nice in itself, but will also confirm the details of the timing. It is not clear which nights we'll have the ability to follow up and look for a sun set. [...]"

[01101001]

Later, this was processed for a press release image:

Release:

From the location of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, above the Martian arctic circle, the sun does not set during the peak of the Martian summer.

This period of maximum solar energy is past -- on Sol 86, the 86th Martian day after the Phoenix landing, the sun fully set behind a slight rise to the north for about half an hour.

This red-filter image taken by the lander's Surface Stereo Imager, shows the sun rising on the morning of sol 90, Aug. 25, 2008, the last day of the Phoenix nominal mission.

The image was taken at 51 minutes past midnight local solar time during the slow sunrise that followed a 75 minute "night." The skylight in the image is light scattered off atmospheric dust particles and ice crystals.

[01101001]

20 minutes ago, began arriving, Sol 91 Raw Images. By Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory, Sol 91 is labeled:

Hold sample (restricted sols). Remote sensing and continued Stone Soup documentation

It sounds like they'll deliver that sample from Stone Soup -- Golden Goose it may be called -- to MECA Wet Chemistry next sol.

[trinitree88]

At the sound of the tone, Phoenix will have spent 90 sols on Mars, the nominal mission length.

Bip... Bip... Bip... Beep!

From University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission, the Current Time on Mars clock reads:



We are in overtime. (Yeah, I checked. They started counting with sol 0.)

Welcome to the extended mission.

Congratulations to all on the Phoenix Team, around the world.

So far, so good.

So far... So good!

Useful links:
NASA Phoenix Mission
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission: Lander Gallery Index
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission: Press Release Gallery Index
University of Arizona Phoenix Mars Mission: Mosaic Gallery Index
JPL Phoenix Mission News
NASA Phoenix Twitter Feed
NASA Phoenix Multimedia
CSA Phoenix Mars Mission
Planetary Society: Phoenix Mission
Planetary Society: Phoenix Non-SSI Raw Images
Planetary Society: Phoenix Sol-By-Sol Summary
Planetary Society: Weblog
Emily Lakdawalla Ustream video chat (Wednesdays)
Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory
Unmanned Spaceflight Forum: Phoenix 2007/8
BBC Science: Phoenix diary
Google Mars landing site
NASA TV (or NASA TV Yahoo! source or high-resolution)
NASA TV Media Channel

The preceding BAUT Forum topic was: Phoenix on Mars, with current last article there.

01 An elegant and well executed mission for all involved. Congratulations are duly noted. The kind of science that inspires...pete

[01101001]

Sol 92 Raw Images began to arrive 3 hours ago. There are currently 119. Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory labels this one:

Drop sample. Load plate test; sunrise & remote sensing

There, it's about the 4th sol with a reference to "plate test". But looking at images within those sols -- none seem to carry the plate test label -- I can't make out what a plate test is. Anyone know? It's cool that each of the words in "load plate test" can serve as verb or noun.

Anyway, no outstanding images so far. I hope to see a MECA WCL delivery among them.

[01101001]

Sol 93 Raw Images began to arrive about 30 minutes ago. There is not yet a label for this sol at Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory. (Edit: It was labeled: "Stone Soup expansion doc, remote sensing".)

Never did see the MECA WCL delivery for Sol 92. Maybe it happened this sol.

Yesterday, there was this minor release about the lovely dirt pile most lately used for digging Stone Soup:

As NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander excavates trenches, it also builds piles with most of the material scooped from the holes. The piles, like this one called "Caterpillar," provide researchers some information about the soil.

On Aug. 24, 2008, during the late afternoon of the 88th Martian day after landing, Phoenix's Surface Stereo Imager took separate exposures through red, green and blue filters that have been combined into this approximately true-color image.

This conical pile of soil is about 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. The sources of material that the robotic arm has dropped onto the Caterpillar pile have included the "Dodo" and ""Upper Cupboard" trenches and, more recently, the deeper "Stone Soup" trench.

Observations of the pile provide information, such as the slope of the cone and the textures of the soil, that helps scientists understand properties of material excavated from the trenches.

For the Stone Soup trench in particular, which is about 18 centimeters (7 inches) deep, the bottom of the trench is in shadow and more difficult to observe than other trenches that Phoenix has dug. The Phoenix team obtained spectral clues about the composition of material from the bottom of Stone Soup by photographing Caterpillar through 15 different filters of the Surface Stereo Imager when the pile was covered in freshly excavated material from the trench.

The spectral observation did not produce any sign of water-ice, just typical soil for the site. However, the bigger clumps do show a platy texture that could be consistent with elevated concentration of salts in the soil from deep in Stone Soup. The team chose that location as the source for a soil sample to be analyzed in the lander's wet chemistry laboratory, which can identify soluble salts in the soil.

[01101001]

There, it's about the 4th sol with a reference to "plate test". But looking at images within those sols -- none seem to carry the plate test label -- I can't make out what a plate test is. Anyone know? It's cool that each of the words in "load plate test" can serve as verb or noun.

I looked again at "load plate test" at the Texas A&M SSI site, and something made me make a connection with the rasp this time. Google (load plate rasp phoenix) lead me to an abstract -- and a document I didn't purchase -- mentioning:

[...] The carbide rasp protrudes at an angle through a slotted load plate in the scoop floor [...]

Load plate. Maybe the "test" is revisiting the issue of icy soil sticking more to the scoop because of duration of rasp operation -- or trial of some method to make it stick less.

Maybe that makes it a "rasp load plate test" with four noun-verbs.

[01101001]

JPL Phoenix Mission News: NASA Phoenix Mission Conducting Extended Activities on Mars (August 29)

"We are still working to understand the properties and the history of the ice at our landing site on the northern plains of Mars. While the sun has begun to dip below the horizon, we still have power to continue our observations and experiments. And we're hoping to see a gradual change in the Martian weather in the next few weeks," he said.

Among the critical questions the Phoenix science team is trying to answer is whether the northern region of Mars could have been a habitable zone.

Phoenix has already confirmed the presence of water ice, determined the soil is alkaline and identified magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and perchlorate in the soil. Chemical analyses continue even as Phoenix's robotic arm reaches out for more samples to sniff and taste.

Another TEGA problem?

The team is currently working to diagnose an intermittent interference that has become apparent in the path for gases generated by heating a soil sample in the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer to reach the instrument's mass spectrometer. Vapors from all samples baked to high temperatures have reached the mass spectrometer so far, however data has shown that the gas flow has been erratic, which is puzzling the scientists.

Meanwhile, plans call for Phoenix to widen its deepest trench, called "Stone Soup," to scoop a fresh sample of soil from that depth for analysis in the wet chemistry laboratory of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA). Stone Soup measures about 18 centimeters (7 inches) deep. The first attempt to collect a sample from Stone Soup, on Aug. 26, got 2 to 3 cubic centimeters (half a teaspoon) into the scoop. This was judged to be not quite enough, so delivering a sample was deferred.

In coming days the team also plans to have Phoenix test a revised method for handling a sample rich in water-ice. Two such samples earlier stuck inside the scoop.

[Procyan]

rasp load plate scoop test

sorry

[01101001]

Sol 94 Raw Images began arriving about 90 minutes ago. 12 images so far. (Edit: Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory labeled it: "Ice delivery test doc, remote sensing".)

They've got a few images of the scoop over used-up TEGA oven #0. Procyan, you may be right about them using the screen to see if some soil-handling technique eliminated clumping. It looks like they might have dumped onto it.


(Reference article here about Sol 89 Raw Images in which the scoop posed over TEGA oven #0.)

[01101001]

Nice reveiw of where the Phoenix mission is at: Space.com: 90 Days on Mars: Phoenix Lander Sends Martian Postcard

[JPL's Barry] Goldstein told SPACE.com Thursday that Phoenix scientists are using the spacecraft to collect as much data as possible through the end of September, when its mission extension concludes, and have submitted a proposal for a second extension through mid-November should the probe survive that long. Researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson are overseeing the mission.

"The vehicle is not going to tip over and die," Goldstein said. "But we're getting to the point where we're going to start seeing the creaks and groans."
[...]
The amount of power generated by Phoenix's two solar arrays is also on the decline, with the probe currently generating about 2,500 watt-hours each day - or about 1,000 watt-hours less than when it landed - because of waning sunlight. The absolute minimum needed for Phoenix to perform the most basic operations is about 1,000 watt-hours, mission managers said.

"We're predicting that's the end of mission," Goldstein said, adding that current projections put that power benchmark in November.
[...]
"We're in that mode now where we're collecting a lot of data," Goldstein said. "Everybody is so busy trying to make hay as the sun shines, literally and figuratively, that we haven't had a chance to take a breath to see what the biggest science find has been."

Goldstein also worked on NASA's long-lived Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit and Opportunity, which have been exploring different parts of the red planet since January 2004, and said it's a somewhat sad and weird feeling to know that those older spacecraft will outlive Phoenix.

More there.

[RGClark]

Nice reveiw of where the Phoenix mission is at: Space.com: 90 Days on Mars: Phoenix Lander Sends Martian Postcard

More there.

A little disconcerting to read the comments posted after that article on Space.com.
Most of us here on this forum are glad of any tidbit of info that comes from our space probes on Mars.

Some interesting info that still might be revealed from Phoenix:

1.)The TECP results have not been reported yet. This has the potential to show that liquid water in the form of brines exists at the Phoenix site. The ever increasing water ice frost deposits might be good places to check for this.
2.)The atomic force microscope has just released its first images. The size of the particles detected are about the size of clay particles. Does it have the capability to determine if they actually are clay particles?
3.)TEGA has not yet detected organics. But the release of CO2 only at high temperatures at least raises the possibility they could be there. Provable detection of organics would be major big story.
4.)Clouds over Phoenix are increasing in size and density. Could we see by the end of the mission water ice snow on Mars?


Others?


Bob Clark

[01101001]

Planetary Society Weblog: Catching up with Phoenix, through sol 91 (August 29)

Almost all of what I'll talk about in this update is operational details -- where they dug, on which days, and so on. There's little science to report. I've received some comments from readers (and also my boss!) indicating frustration with the lack of results reporting. There is certainly more that the team could be telling us about what they think they see in their chemical analysis -- but it would be at the risk of having to retract it later, if their interpretations changed. I'll admit that I am as curious as anyone about what TEGA has seen in its ovens and what the Wet Chemistry lab has seen in its beakers and what the Optical Microscope is telling us about the shapes and sizes of Mars' ubiquitous dust grains. But I'm willing to be patient, to let the team focus their efforts on doing everything they can with this spacecraft during its limited life on Mars. There'll be plenty of time for explanations and interpretations after Phoenix has sent its last data bit to Earth -- an event that will happen all too soon. As long as the team is doing enough science analysis to guide their work with the lander, I'm happy; I'd like to ask you all to be patient, too.

On the mystery of oven #0:

Having completed the mission success requirements for TEGA, I think they are getting ready to return to the challenge of getting an ice sample into one of those as-yet-unused ovens. Their previous attempts to get ice samples resulted in the material getting stuck in the scoop, and they haven't yet solved the problem of how to get it out of the scoop and into TEGA. I was very confused when I updated the Phoenix robotic arm camera raw images page to see that the robotic arm was being poised over TEGA oven 0, one of the ovens that's already been used, and is now closed, unable to receive any further sample material -- what would they be doing that for? I asked found out that they are going to use one of the already-open ovens to test their ice-rich-soil delivery process, to make sure they can get a sample into and out of the scoop and through the screen, and once they are satisfied that the process works, they will move on to an unused oven.

Lots more there.

[Procyan]

Those "comments" are more emotional than rational. MaDeR got them sorted.

Of course good science requires careful analysis. One thing worries me. To me it sounds like NASA is leaning toward the way of the Europeans with embargoed data and analysis. I hope not. America has always shown unparalleled openness w/respect to space science. Hope the perchlorate thing didn't cause too much reverb.

I can't afford to subscribe to the journals and I'm many miles from a good library. So, to me, this forum serves immeasurably. Thankfully is not so PC as to inhibit free flow of thought. To wit, liquid brines on Mars are possible (likely?) and worthy of discussion. Isn't that really a big reason for the Temperature/conductivity measurements? The Phoenix team must be on the look out for slush. Has this not been modeled here on Terra firma? This is usually about where someone sends out a relevant reference showing that it has all already been done and I'm all wet!

Perhaps I should dry up and blow away! Ak ak ak...

[Procyan]

There was talk of imaging larger pieces of ice over time as it sublimes to see if any salt residue was visible. Did that happen yet? Would not like to miss that.

[01101001]

There was talk of imaging larger pieces of ice over time as it sublimes to see if any salt residue was visible.

I don't recall that for larger pieces of ice. They spend quite a while trying to see visible signs of salt at Upper Cupboard, but most likely failed.

Planetary Society Weblog: Catching up with Phoenix, through sol 91 (August 29)

At Upper Cupboard, they are trying to figure out whether there are salts present in the ice-rich material at the top of the ice table. If there are, they badly want to get those salts into the MECA instrument. Ray Arvidson explained the experiments they were planning to try for my last update; the images suggest they've been trying all those experiments, but I would guess that since they went for the Stone Soup sample, the experiments have failed to prove the existence of much in the way of salts in the soil there. It's hard to prove a negative -- there could definitely be salts present -- but they don't seem to have the positive evidence they need to proceed with using up a precious Wet Chem cell for a sample from Upper Cupboard.

[01101001]

Sol 95 Raw Images just began arriving. There is one so far.

[slang]

One thing worries me. To me it sounds like NASA is leaning toward the way of the Europeans with embargoed data and analysis. I hope not. America has always shown unparalleled openness w/respect to space science. Hope the perchlorate thing didn't cause too much reverb.

Is that really so? It's true that lately most NASA probes have delivered a flood of imagery, real time. But AFAIK most other data isn't immediately publicly available, for several reasons. Like the need for calibration, corrections, the chance for students involved to work on it before someone else runs away with the opportunity, etc. IIRC the BA mentioned a 6 month embargo on Hubble data too. I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this, though. I'd also be happy to see more openness from ESA on images.

[Procyan]

Point taken Slang. There will always be a bit of "reading of the tea leaves" until the final publications. Thats what keeps me coming back here

[Procyan]

When dilute salts are freeze dried they leave a feather-light network. I wonder if the salt residues are blowing away? Looking at the accumulated data on the Canadian site:http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/explo...x_weather1.asp
There are wind averages topping 20 km/hr. At an oppressive 8.5 millibar. I have no idea of the force that would generate. Still it is easy to imagine some dust blowing around.

Considering the extreme "stop action" aspect of the imaging sequences the lightweight salt residues might be swept away before the camera catches an image of them.

[01101001]

Sol 95 Raw Images just began arriving. There is one so far.

Texas A&M University Phoenix SSI Raw Images Directory has it labeled:

Stone Soup doc, remote sensing

The clouds are moving in. Weather is a-changin'.