Comments on: Who Listens For Phoenix? http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/ Space and astronomy news Sun, 8 Nov 2009 05:58:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Feenixx http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44419 Feenixx Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:22:57 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44419 maudyfish Says: "It would be nice if they could build something similar to the rovers that can go to the poles but avoid the harsh winters. Wonder what that would cost?" Many people, looking from a distance, tend to forget that Mars is a full-size desert planed with no roads and filling stations. You can't really drive fast enough and far enough to escape the Winter..... maudyfish Says:

"It would be nice if they could build something similar to the rovers that can go to the poles but avoid the harsh winters. Wonder what that would cost?"

Many people, looking from a distance, tend to forget that Mars is a full-size desert planed with no roads and filling stations. You can't really drive fast enough and far enough to escape the Winter…..

]]> By: maudyfish http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44296 maudyfish Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:13:35 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44296 It would be nice if they could build something similar to the rovers that can go to the poles but avoid the harsh winters. Wonder what that would cost? It would be nice if they could build something similar to the rovers that can go to the poles but avoid the harsh winters. Wonder what that would cost?

]]> By: Frank Glover http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44279 Frank Glover Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:00:56 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44279 "To land in the proximity of a polar ice cap, and not really be able to give anymore insight one way or the other as to whether there is/was microbial life on Mars?" Well, when you're not looking for biology, unless something big enough to see, actually walks by your cameras, you're probably not going to find biology, are you? Like Spirit and Opprotunity, this was mostly a geophysical mission that had some biological implications (that is, pinning down the question of where, when and how much water is/was there?) "To land in the proximity of a polar ice cap, and not really be able to give anymore insight one way or the other as to whether there is/was microbial life on Mars?"

Well, when you're not looking for biology, unless something big enough to see, actually walks by your cameras, you're probably not going to find biology, are you?

Like Spirit and Opprotunity, this was mostly a geophysical mission that had some biological implications (that is, pinning down the question of where, when and how much water is/was there?)

]]> By: Jim Krug http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44261 Jim Krug Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:51:06 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44261 I'm going to have to disagree with Paul here. Compared to what the Phoenix was supposed to do, I think it ended up being a costly thud of a mission. To land in the proximity of a polar ice cap, and not really be able to give anymore insight one way or the other as to whether there is/was microbial life on Mars? Meh. I'm going to have to disagree with Paul here. Compared to what the Phoenix was supposed to do, I think it ended up being a costly thud of a mission.

To land in the proximity of a polar ice cap, and not really be able to give anymore insight one way or the other as to whether there is/was microbial life on Mars?

Meh.

]]> By: Feenixx http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44182 Feenixx Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:35:15 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44182 I enjoyed following the Phoenix - it certainly was better entertainment than the US elections. And it lasted for a lot longer than planned. Thanks to all at NASA, University of Arizona, and, of course, UT :) ps: ...and I also read somewhere it cost less than one single Shuttle mission..... I enjoyed following the Phoenix – it certainly was better entertainment than the US elections. And it lasted for a lot longer than planned. Thanks to all at NASA, University of Arizona, and, of course, UT
:)

ps: …and I also read somewhere it cost less than one single Shuttle mission…..

]]> By: Paul Eaton-Jones http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44143 Paul Eaton-Jones Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:46:37 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44143 Instead of carping how about a resounding cheer for the machine? Of course there were problems, of course things were over-looked, of course things could/should have been different but for a first attempt it's been brilliant. Congrats. to the ground crew as well. Instead of carping how about a resounding cheer for the machine? Of course there were problems, of course things were over-looked, of course things could/should have been different but for a first attempt it's been brilliant. Congrats. to the ground crew as well.

]]> By: Silver Thread http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44122 Silver Thread Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:59:43 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44122 Such Irony that a lander named after the fiery Phoenix should succumb to bone numbing cold on a world bereft of fuel. Perhaps in the spring it might arise again from it's apparent death, but I doubt it. Such Irony that a lander named after the fiery Phoenix should succumb to bone numbing cold on a world bereft of fuel. Perhaps in the spring it might arise again from it's apparent death, but I doubt it.

]]> By: Astrofiend http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44120 Astrofiend Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:41:49 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44120 # Phil Says: December 1st, 2008 at 7:43 pm Obsevations under Kms of Ice? I don't think the lander had any chance of making it through the winter. I think it was supposed to get covered by ICE as the winter advances. Next time I hope they design/bring better ovens. >>> I don't think it has a snowballs chance in hell of making it through the winter (or perhaps more appropriately an ember's chance in a snowstorm?). It most likely will be at least partially covered by ice eventually. However, it is the very observations leading up to this point that would have been so great - monitoring temperature/cloud cover/wind patterns/weather conditions in general as the seasons change and the ice encroaches. Watching for how the ice forms - does it fall as snow? Or is the process more akin to deposition? Is there any unexpected surprises as winter approaches? Obviously the lander would have packed it in for good at some point, but that doesn't mean that observations up until that very instant would not be extremely worth while. In fact, they may have been some of the most interesting results of the entire mission! # Phil Says:
December 1st, 2008 at 7:43 pm

Obsevations under Kms of Ice? I don't think the lander had any chance of making it through the winter. I think it was supposed to get covered by ICE as the winter advances.

Next time I hope they design/bring better ovens.

>>> I don't think it has a snowballs chance in hell of making it through the winter (or perhaps more appropriately an ember's chance in a snowstorm?). It most likely will be at least partially covered by ice eventually. However, it is the very observations leading up to this point that would have been so great – monitoring temperature/cloud cover/wind patterns/weather conditions in general as the seasons change and the ice encroaches. Watching for how the ice forms – does it fall as snow? Or is the process more akin to deposition? Is there any unexpected surprises as winter approaches?

Obviously the lander would have packed it in for good at some point, but that doesn't mean that observations up until that very instant would not be extremely worth while. In fact, they may have been some of the most interesting results of the entire mission!

]]> By: Oddety http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44106 Oddety Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:22:55 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44106 The last attempt to listen for a signal from UT.com was like the one before. Eventually the reason will prevail and the foolishness be banished. Could be the servers are hosted by Phoenix? The last attempt to listen for a signal from UT.com was like the one before.
Eventually the reason will prevail and the foolishness be banished.
Could be the servers are hosted by Phoenix?

]]> By: Phil http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44098 Phil Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:43:38 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44098 Obsevations under Kms of Ice? I don't think the lander had any chance of making it through the winter. I think it was supposed to get covered by ICE as the winter advances. Next time I hope they design/bring better ovens. Obsevations under Kms of Ice? I don't think the lander had any chance of making it through the winter. I think it was supposed to get covered by ICE as the winter advances.

Next time I hope they design/bring better ovens.

]]> By: Astrofiend http://www.universetoday.com/2008/12/01/who-listens-for-phoenix/comment-page-1/#comment-44094 Astrofiend Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:29:35 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=21735#comment-44094 It would have been great (not to mention scientifically valuable) to be able to keep observations going heading into the Martian Winter. Just goes to show that solar panels are next to useless. Everything should be on RTG's. It would have been great (not to mention scientifically valuable) to be able to keep observations going heading into the Martian Winter. Just goes to show that solar panels are next to useless. Everything should be on RTG's.

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