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| Version 13 | Version 14 |
|---|---|
| Historic pictures sent from Mars | Historic pictures sent from Mars |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A Nasa spacecraft has sent back historic first pictures of an unexplored region of Mars. | |
| The Mars Phoenix lander touched down in the far north of the Red Planet, after a 680 million-km (423 million-mile) journey from Earth. | The Mars Phoenix lander touched down in the far north of the Red Planet, after a 680 million-km (423 million-mile) journey from Earth. |
| The probe is equipped with a robotic arm to dig for water-ice thought to be buried beneath the surface. | The probe is equipped with a robotic arm to dig for water-ice thought to be buried beneath the surface. |
| It will begin examining the site for evidence of the building blocks of life in the next few days. | It will begin examining the site for evidence of the building blocks of life in the next few days. |
| A signal confirming the lander had reached the surface was received at 2353 GMT on 25 May (1953 EDT; 0053 BST on 26 May). | A signal confirming the lander had reached the surface was received at 2353 GMT on 25 May (1953 EDT; 0053 BST on 26 May). |
| Engineers and scientists at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California clapped and cheered when the landing signal came through. | Engineers and scientists at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California clapped and cheered when the landing signal came through. |
| "Phoenix has landed - welcome to the northern plain of Mars," a flight controller announced. | "Phoenix has landed - welcome to the northern plain of Mars," a flight controller announced. |
| Advertisement | Advertisement |
| Reaction from Nasa's Mission Control when the Phoenix probe landed | Reaction from Nasa's Mission Control when the Phoenix probe landed |
| The final seven minutes of the probe's 10-month journey to Mars were regarded as the hardest part of the mission. | The final seven minutes of the probe's 10-month journey to Mars were regarded as the hardest part of the mission. |
| The probe had to survive a fiery plunge through the planet's thin atmosphere, slowing from a speed of nearly 21,000km/h (13,000 mph). | The probe had to survive a fiery plunge through the planet's thin atmosphere, slowing from a speed of nearly 21,000km/h (13,000 mph). |
| Soft landing | Soft landing |
| It released a parachute, used pulsed thrusters to slow to a fast walking speed, and then descended the last few metres to the Martian soil to land on three legs. | It released a parachute, used pulsed thrusters to slow to a fast walking speed, and then descended the last few metres to the Martian soil to land on three legs. |
| The Nasa team monitored each stage of the descent and landing process through radio messages relayed to Earth via the Odyssey satellite in orbit around Mars. | The Nasa team monitored each stage of the descent and landing process through radio messages relayed to Earth via the Odyssey satellite in orbit around Mars. |
| "In my dreams, it couldn't have gone as perfectly as it did tonight," said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager at JPL. | "In my dreams, it couldn't have gone as perfectly as it did tonight," said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager at JPL. |
| Nasa found out more about the landing when pictures from the probe reached the Earth. | Nasa found out more about the landing when pictures from the probe reached the Earth. |
| The first images showed the "Arctic plain" where Phoenix came to rest - a region of Mars that has never been seen up close before. | The first images showed the "Arctic plain" where Phoenix came to rest - a region of Mars that has never been seen up close before. |
| Other shots confirmed that the probe's solar arrays had unfurled successfully, and that it had landed safely on its legs.Phoenix carries seven science instruments | Other shots confirmed that the probe's solar arrays had unfurled successfully, and that it had landed safely on its legs.Phoenix carries seven science instruments |
| The spacecraft will begin its three-month science mission in the next few days.The probe's solar arrays were unfurled successfully | The spacecraft will begin its three-month science mission in the next few days.The probe's solar arrays were unfurled successfully |
| It will use a robotic arm to dig through the protective Martian topsoil and lift samples of both soil and ice to its deck for scientific analysis. | It will use a robotic arm to dig through the protective Martian topsoil and lift samples of both soil and ice to its deck for scientific analysis. |
| Dr Tom Pike of Imperial College, London, is part of the British team involved in the project. | Dr Tom Pike of Imperial College, London, is part of the British team involved in the project. |
| "The main goal of the mission is to get below the surface of Mars to where we are almost certain there is water," he told BBC News. | "The main goal of the mission is to get below the surface of Mars to where we are almost certain there is water," he told BBC News. |
| He said orbiters flying around Mars had surveyed the landing site in great detail and found signs that water ice is buried 10cm or less below the surface. | He said orbiters flying around Mars had surveyed the landing site in great detail and found signs that water ice is buried 10cm or less below the surface. |
| "Water, of course, is of critical importance because it is one of the building blocks - one of the essential habitats we need - for life," he said. | "Water, of course, is of critical importance because it is one of the building blocks - one of the essential habitats we need - for life," he said. |
| High failure rate | High failure rate |
| Landing on Mars is a notoriously tricky business. There has been about a 50% failure rate on all Mars missions since Russia launched the first one in 1960.The probe's feet sat neatly on the surface, according to this picture | Landing on Mars is a notoriously tricky business. There has been about a 50% failure rate on all Mars missions since Russia launched the first one in 1960.The probe's feet sat neatly on the surface, according to this picture |
| Phoenix is an apt name for the current mission, as it rose from the ashes of two previous failures. | Phoenix is an apt name for the current mission, as it rose from the ashes of two previous failures. |
| In September 1999, the Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft crashed into the Red Planet following a navigation error caused when technicians mixed up "English" (imperial) and metric units. | In September 1999, the Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft crashed into the Red Planet following a navigation error caused when technicians mixed up "English" (imperial) and metric units. |
| A few months later, another Nasa spacecraft, the Mars Polar Lander (MPL), was lost near the planet's South Pole. | A few months later, another Nasa spacecraft, the Mars Polar Lander (MPL), was lost near the planet's South Pole. |
| Phoenix uses hardware from an identical twin of MPL, the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, which was cancelled following the two consecutive failures. | Phoenix uses hardware from an identical twin of MPL, the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, which was cancelled following the two consecutive failures. |
| The probe was launched on 4 August 2007 on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. | The probe was launched on 4 August 2007 on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. |
| Phoenix landed further north than previous missions | Phoenix landed further north than previous missions |