Posted: July 25, 2007T-00:00LiftoffThe ULA Delta 2 rocket's main engine and twin vernier steering thrusters are started moments before launch. The six ground-start strap-on solid rocket motors are ignited at T-0 to begin the mission.T+01:03.1Ground SRM BurnoutThe six ground-start Alliant TechSystems-built solid rocket motors consume all their propellant and burn out.T+01:05.5Air-Lit SRM IgnitionThe three remaining solid rocket motors strapped to the Delta 2 rocket's first stage are ignited.T+01:06.0Jettison Ground SRMsThe six spent ground-started solid rocket boosters are jettisoned in sets of three to fall into the Atlantic Ocean.T+02:11.5Jettison Air-Lit SRMsHaving burned out, the three spent air-started solid rocket boosters are jettisoned toward the Atlantic Ocean.T+04:23.3Main Engine CutoffAfter consuming its RP-1 fuel and liquid oxygen, the Rocketdyne RS-27A first stage main engine is shut down. The vernier engines cut off moments later.T+04:31.3Stage SeparationThe Delta rocket's first stage is separated now, having completed its job. The spent stage will fall into the Atlantic Ocean.T+04:36.8Second Stage IgnitionWith the stage jettisoned, the rocket's second stage takes over. The Aerojet AJ10-118K liquid-fueled engine ignites for the first of its two firings to boost the Phoenix spacecraft.T+05:03.0Jettison Payload FairingThe 9.5-foot diameter payload fairing that protected the Phoenix spacecraft atop the Delta 2 during the atmospheric ascent is jettisoned is two halves.T+09:20.5Second Stage Cutoff 1The second stage engine shuts down to complete its first firing of the launch after reaching an 86.4 by 96.5 nautical mile orbit at 28.5 degrees inclination. The rocket and attached spacecraft are now in a coast period before the second stage reignites.T+73:47.2Second Stage RestartDelta's second stage engine reignites for a firing that accelerates the payload further.T+76:02.3Second Stage Cutoff 2The stage shuts down to complete its second burn having reached an 87.7 by 3,128.1 nautical mile orbit at 28.5 degrees inclination. Over the next minute, tiny thrusters on the side of the rocket will be fired to spin up the vehicle in preparation for stage separation.T+77:05.5Stage SeparationThe liquid-fueled second stage is jettisoned from the rest of the Delta 2 rocket.T+77:42.8Third Stage IgnitionThe Thiokol Star 48B solid-fueled third stage is ignited to propel Phoenix on its departure trajectory from Earth.T+79:10.3Third Stage BurnoutHaving used up all its solid-propellant, the third stage burns out to completed the powered phase of the launch sequence for Phoenix.T+84:10.3Phoenix SeparationNASA's Phoenix spacecraft is released from the third stage to begin the nine-month cruise to the Red Planet.Data source: ULAFinal Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!STS-134 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Project OrionThe Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Phoenix science instrumentsFROM NASA PRESS KITThe Phoenix Mars Lander carries seven science instruments, three of which are suites of multipletools.The Robotic Arm will allow Phoenix to explore vertically and to use instruments on thespacecraft deck to analyze samples of Martian soil and ice. The arm will dig trenches, positionsome arm-mounted tools for studying the soil in place, and deliver scooped-up samples toother instruments.The aluminum and titanium arm is 2.35 meters (7.7 feet) long. One end is attached to thelander's deck. An elbow joint is in the middle. The other end has a scoop with blades for digginginto the soil and a powered rasp for breaking up frozen soil. The arm moves like a backhoe,using four types of motion: up-and-down, side-to-side, back-and-forth and rotating.The arm can reach far enough to dig about half a meter (20 inches) deep. However, the subsurfaceice layer expected at the landing site may not lie that deep. Once the arm reaches theicy-soil layer, the powered rasp will be used to acquire samples.Because the arm will be making direct contact with icy soil that is conceivably a habitat wheremicrobes could survive, extra precaution has been taken with it to prevent introducing life fromEarth. Before the arm was given a sterilizing heat treatment in March 2007, it was enclosedin a biological barrier wrap. This barrier is keeping microbes off the arm during the subsequentmonths before launch. It will not open until after Phoenix has landed on Mars.The robotic arm uses design work for a similar arm flown on the 1999 Mars Polar Lander mission,with refinements including enhanced capability for collecting an icy sample.A team led by Robert Bonitz at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., engineeredand tested the Phoenix Robotic Arm. Alliance Spacesystems Inc., Pasadena, built it.Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis is the lead scientist for this instrument.The Robotic Arm Camera rides fastened to the arm just above the scoop. It will providecloseup color images of Martian soil at the landing site, of the floor and walls of trenches dugby the arm, and of soil and ice samples before and after they are in the scoop.Information the camera reveals about soil textures will aid in selecting what to pick up assamples for analysis. Observations of trench walls will determine whether they show fine-scalelayering, which could result from changes in the Martian climate.The camera has a double Gauss lens system, a design commonly used in 35-millimeter cameras.Images are recorded by a charge-coupled device (CCD) similar to those in consumer digitalcameras. The instrument includes sets of red, green and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs)for illuminating the target area.The focus can be adjusted by a motor, which is a first for a camera on an interplanetary spacecraft. The focus can be set as close as about 11 millimeters (half an inch) and out to infinity.With a resolution of 23 microns per pixel at the closest focus, this camera can show detailsmuch finer than the width of a human hair.A team led by H. Uwe Keller at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, and by Peter Smith at the University of Arizona originally built this camerafor the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander mission, which was canceled in 2000. It is similar to acamera on the robotic arm of the unsuccessful Mars Polar Lander spacecraft, though with animproved illumination system. For the Phoenix Robotic Arm Camera, Keller is the lead scientistand Chris Shinohara of the University of Arizona is the lead engineer.The Surface Stereoscopic Imager will record panoramic views of the surroundings fromatop a mast on the lander. Its images from two cameras situated about as far apart as a pair ofhuman eyes will provide three-dimensional information that the Phoenix team will use in choosingwhere to dig and in operating the robotic arm.A choice of 12 different filters for each eye enables the instrument to produce images not onlyin full color, but in a several specific visual and infrared frequencies useful for interpreting geological and atmospheric properties. The multispectral and three-dimensional information willhelp scientists understand the geology of the landing area.The twin cameras will be able to look in all directions from a perch about 2 meters (7 feet)above Martian ground level. They will see with about the same resolution as human eyes,capturing each view onto 1-megapixel charge-coupled devices (a 1,024-by-1,024-pixel CCDfor each eye).The instrument will sometimes point upward to assess how much dust and water vapor is inthe atmosphere. When the robotic arm delivers soil and ice samples to deck-mounted instruments,the Surface Stereoscopic Imager will be able to look downward to inspect the samples.Views of the spacecraft's deck will also monitor dust accumulation, which is of scientific interestfor inferences about Martian winds and of engineering interest for effects of the dust buildupon solar panels.A University of Arizona team led by Chris Shinohara built the Phoenix Surface StereoscopicImager. Mark Lemmon of Texas A&M University, College Station, is lead scientist for this camera.The instrument closely resembles a stereo imager on Mars Polar Lander, which in turnused design features from the imager on Mars Pathfinder, which provided stereo views fromthe surface of Mars in July 1997.The Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer will study substances that are converted to gasesby heating samples delivered to the instrument by the robotic arm. It provides two types of information.One of its tools, called a differential scanning calorimeter, monitors how much poweris required to increase the temperature of the sample at a constant rate. This reveals whichtemperatures are the transition points from solid to liquid to gas for ingredients in the sample.The gases that are released, or "evolved," by this heating then go to a mass spectrometer, atool that can identify the chemicals and measure their composition.The mass spectrometer will determine whether the samples of soil and ice contain any organiccompounds. It would be used to identify the types and amounts if any are present. Finding anywould be an important result for interpreting the habitability of the site.The instrument will also give information about water and carbon dioxide present as ices orbound to minerals. The amount of heat needed to drive off water or carbon dioxide that isbound to minerals is characteristically different for different minerals. The calorimeter's information from that process can help identify minerals in the soil, including carbonates if they are present.The mass spectrometer will measure the ratios of different isotopes of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen,argon and some other elements in the Martian samples. Isotopes are alternate forms ofthe same element with different atomic weights due to different numbers of neutrons. Ratioscan be changed by the effects of long-term processes that act preferentially on lighter or heavierisotopes of the same element. For example, some of Mars' original water was lost from theplanet by processes at the top of the atmosphere, favoring the removal of lighter isotopes ofhydrogen and oxygen and leaving modern Mars water with a raised ratio of heavier isotopes.The instrument has eight tiny ovens for samples, each to be used only once. The ovens areabout 1 centimeter (about half an inch) long and 2 millimeters (one-eighth inch) in diameter.At the start of an analysis, sample material is dropped into the oven through a screen. Theoven closes after a light-beam detector senses that it is full. The experiment gradually heatssamples to temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit).Theheating process drives off water and any other volatile ingredients as a stream of gases. Thosegases are directed to the mass spectrometer.One of the samples that the instrument will analyze will be a special material that the landercarries from Earth, specially prepared to be as free of carbon as possible. This will serve asan experimental control as the instrument analyzes samples excavated at Mars. The controlmaterial is made of a machinable glass ceramic substance named Macor, from Corning Inc.The arm will scrape some of it up and deliver it to the analyzer to get a reading showing howwell the experiment can eliminate carbon carried from Earth. Carbon detected in assessmentsof Martian samples might be unavoidable traces of Earth carbon if the readings are no higherthan the amount in this control sample.The mass spectrometer part of the analyzer will examine samples of atmosphere at the landingsite, in addition to the evolved gases from scooped-up samples. The atmospheric measurementswill add information about humidity to the weather data monitored by the spacecraft'sMeteorological Station.The Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer was built by teams at the University of Arizona, ledby William Boynton (science lead) and Heather Enos (project manager), and at the Universityof Texas, Dallas, led by John Hoffman. It is adapted from a similar instrument with the samename that flew on the Mars Polar Lander mission in 1999.The Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer will use four tools to examinesoil. It will assess characteristics that a gardener or farmer would learn from a soil test,plus several more. Three of the tools will analyze samples of soil scooped and delivered bythe robotic arm -- a wet chemistry laboratory and two types of microscopes. The fourth tool ismounted near the end of the arm, and has a row of four small spikes that the arm will push intothe ground to examine electrical conductivity and other properties of the soil.The wet chemistry laboratory has four teacup-size beakers. Each will be used only once.Samples from Mars' surface and three lower depths may be analyzed and compared. Theinstrument will study soluble chemicals in the soil by mixing water with the sample to a soupyconsistency and keeping it warm enough to remain liquid during the analysis.On the inner surfaces of each beaker are 26 sensors, mostly electrodes behind selectively permeablemembranes or gels. Some sensors will give information about the pH of the soil -- thedegree to which it is acidic or alkaline. Soil pH is an important factor in what types of chemicalreactions, or perhaps what types of microbes, a soil habitat would favor, and it is has neverbeen measured on Mars. Other sensors will gauge concentrations of such ions as chlorides,bromides, magnesium, calcium and potassium, which form soluble salts in soil, and will recordthe level of the sample's oxidizing potential. One chemically important ion in soil, sulfate,cannot be directly sensed, so the analysis of each sample will end with a special process thatdetermines the amount of sulfate by observing its reaction with barium. Comparisons of theconcentrations of water-soluble ions in samples from different depths may provide clues to thehistory of water in the soil.The wet chemistry setup has a built-in robotic laboratory technician that adds potions to eachbeaker in a choreographed two-day sequence. Before each soil sample goes in, about 25cubic centimeters (nearly two tablespoons) of ice with dilute concentrations of several ionsis slowly melted in a special container, a process that takes one to two hours. After the wateris released into the beaker, the sensors make baseline measurements at this starting point.The first of five pill-size crucibles of prepared chemicals is then added to increase ion concentrationsby a known amount in order to calibrate the measurements. Next, a drawer abovethe beaker extends to receive the soil sample, and the scoop on the robotic arm drops up toone cubic centimeter (one-fifth of a teaspoon) of soil into the drawer, which then retracts anddumps the sample into the beaker. A paddle stirs the soup for hours while the sensors takemeasurements. The next day, the second crucible adds nitrobenzoic acid to the beaker to testhow ions from the soil react to increased acidity. The last three crucibles hold barium chloride.As they are added, one at a time, any sulfate from the soil reacts with the barium to make aninsoluble compound, taking both the barium and the sulfate out of solution. The amount of sulfatein the soil sample is determined by measuring the amount of unreacted barium left behind.The "microscopy" part of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer will examinesoil particles and possibly ice particles with both an optical microscope and an atomicforce microscope. The robotic arm delivers soil samples to a wheel that rotates to presentthe samples to the microscopes. Along the perimeter of the wheel are substrates with differenttypes of surfaces, such as magnets and sticky silicone. This allows the experiment to getinformation from the particles' interaction with the various surfaces, as well as from the sizes,shapes and colors of the particles themselves.The biggest particles the optical microscope can view are about as long across as the thicknessof a dime, just over a millimeter. The smallest it can see are about 500 times smaller -- about 2 microns across. That would be the smallest scale ever seen on Mars, except thatthe atomic force microscope will image details down to another 20 times smaller than that -- assmall as about 100 nanometers, one one-hundredth the width of a human hair.The optical microscope obtains color information by illuminating the sample with any combinationof four different light sources. The illumination comes from 12 light-emitting diodes shiningin red, blue, green or ultraviolet parts of the spectrum. The atomic force microscope assemblesan image of the surface shape of a particle by sensing it with a sharp tip at the end of a spring,which has a strain gauge indicating how far the spring flexes to follow the contour of the surface.The process is like a much smaller version of a phonograph needle tracking the bumpinessinside the groove of a vinyl record.The shapes and the size distributions of soil particles may tell scientists about environmentalconditions the material has experienced. Tumbling rounds the edges. Repeated wetting andfreezing causes cracking. Clay minerals formed during long exposure to water have distinctive,plate-shaped particle shapes.The "conductivity" part of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer will assesshow heat and electricity move through the soil from one spike to another of a four-spikeelectronic fork that will be pushed into the soil at different stages of digging by the arm. Forexample, a pulse of heat will be put onto one spike, and the rate at which the temperature riseson the nearby spike will be recorded, along with the rate at which the heated needle cools off.A little bit of ice in the soil can make a big difference in how well the soil conducts heat. Similarly, soil's electrical conductivity is a sensitive indicator of moisture in the soil. Soil moisture may have subtle stages intermediate between frozen solid and liquid, including warm ice andwater films, which may be biologically available. The device, called the thermal and electricalconductivity probe, adapts technology used in commercial soil-moisture gauges for irrigationcontrol systems.The conductivity probe has an additional role besides soil analysis. It will serve as a humiditysensor when held in the air. Also, slight temperature changes from one spike to the next canallow it to estimate wind speed.The Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer is based on an instrument developedfor the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander mission, which was canceled in 2000. The instrumentfor Phoenix inherited many of the original electronic and structural components. The conductivityprobe and other improvements have been added to the earlier design.A team led by Michael Hecht at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., designedand built the analyzer. A consortium led by Urs Staufer of the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland,provided the atomic force microscope. The University of Arizona provided the opticalmicroscope, equipped with an electronic detector (the same as in the Robotic Arm Camera)from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany. JohnMarshall of the SETI Institute, Mountain View, Calif., is lead scientist for the optical microscope.Transfer Engineering and Manufacturing Inc., Fremont, Calif. (formerly Surface/Interface Inc.of Mountain View, Calif.) designed the sample wheel for the microscopes. Aaron Zent of NASAAmes Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is science lead for the thermal and electrical conductivity probe, built by Decagon Devices Inc., Pullman, Wash. For the wet chemistry experiment,Thermo Fisher Scientific (formerly the Water Analysis Division of Thermo Corp., Beverly,Mass.) provided the chemical beakers; Starsys Research Corp., Boulder, Colo. provided thechemistry actuator assemblies and Tufts University, Medford, Mass., prepared the crucibles ofreagents for mixing with the soil samples. Sam Kounaves of Tufts is lead scientist for the wetchemistry investigation.The Meteorological Station will track daily weather and seasonal changes using temperatureand pressure sensors plus a laser-reflection instrument. The information collected by thisfirst high-latitude weather station on Mars will aid understanding of how water is cycled seasonallybetween ice on the ground and vapor in the atmosphere.The laser tool, called a lidar for "light detection and ranging," uses powerful laser pulses ina way comparable to radio pulses emitted by a radar instrument. The laser beam is emittedvertically into the atmosphere. Atmospheric dust and ice particles in the beam's path reflect thelight, sending it in all directions, including straight downward. A telescope integrated into theinstrument detects the downward-reflected light. Analysis of the strength and time-delay of thereflections reveals information about the sizes and altitudes of the particles. Tracking changesin these atmospheric particles' abundances and locations over time will help researchers studyhow clouds and dust plumes form and move.The weather station includes a 1.2-meter (4-foot) mast bearing sensors at three heights tomonitor how temperature varies with height near the surface. The temperature sensors arethin-wire thermocouples; they measure temperature by its effect on the flow of an electricalcurrent through a closed circuit of two metals with different thermal properties. The thermocouplesuse the metals chromel (a nickel and chromium alloy) and constantan (a copper andnickel alloy). Also, hanging from the top of the mast is a wind telltale. This is a small tube thatwill be deflected by the wind. The science payload's stereo camera will record images of thetelltale that will be used to determine wind direction and speed. The top of the meteorologymast, at 1.14 meters (3.75 feet) above the deck, is the highest point on the lander.The Canadian Space Agency provided the Meteorological Station for Phoenix. Jim Whitewayof York University, Toronto, Ontario, leads the Canadian science team. The instrument constructionwas led by the Space Missions Group of MDA Ltd., Brampton, Ontario, with contributionsfrom Optech Inc., Toronto, for the lidar. The Finnish Meteorological Institute provided theinstrument for measuring atmospheric pressure. Aarhus University, Denmark, constructed thewind telltale.The Mars Descent Imager will take a downward-looking picture during the final momentsbefore the spacecraft lands on Mars. This image will provide a bridge between orbiter-scaleand lander-scale images. It is expected to show geological context helpful for planning thelander's activities and for interpreting other science instruments' observations and measurements.Conditions at the landing site have different implications if the site appears to be typicalof a much broader area than if the site happens to be an unusual patch of ground unlike itssurroundings.This camera is mounted on the outer edge of the payload deck of the lander. It was designedto take several images, but the plan was altered to just one image after testing showed that adata-handling component elsewhere on the lander had a small possibility of triggering loss ofsome vital engineering data if it receives imaging data during a critical phase of final descent.The timing of the image will be planned to yield higher resolution of the landing area than currentlypossible from orbit.The imager weighs just 480 grams (1 pound). The optics provide a field of view of 75.3 degrees.Exposure time is 4 milliseconds.. At that speed, some blurring may occur as the descentengines vibrate the spacecraft while the camera takes its image.Future spacecraft to the surface of Mars may need capability for steering themselves to avoidhazards or to reach specific landing sites. Descent imaging could be an important componentof the technology for accomplishing that.A tiny microphone is riding on the descent camera. It might catch sounds around the spacecraftwhile the camera is taking its image. There are no plans to power the camera to takepictures or to record sounds after the landing.The Mars Descent Imager that will fly on Phoenix was originally built for the Mars Surveyor2001 Lander mission, by a team led by Michael Malin at Malin Space Science Systems, SanDiego. A similar camera flew on Mars Polar Lander.Research StrategyThe planned operational life of the Phoenix Mars lander after it reaches Mars is 90 Martiandays. Each Martian day, often called a "sol," lasts about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day.That gives the Phoenix team three months to use the lander's instruments to address the waterand habitat questions of the mission's science objectives. Planning and practice simulationsbefore landing will prepare the team to make the best possible advantage of that time.Observations made by orbiter spacecraft during the evaluation of candidate landing sites forPhoenix provide a starting-point base of knowledge about the area. After Phoenix has landed,views from the Surface Stereoscopic Imager, with added context from the Mars Descent Cameraand closer looks with the Robotic Arm Camera, will be used for choosing where to collectthe first soil sample for analysis.The first samples fed into the lander's analyzers will come from the surface. Decisions abouthow much deeper to go before analyzing another sample will depend on results from thesurface material and on what the robotic arm camera and stereo imager see in the soil. TheThermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer can check for organics and other volatiles in up to eightsamples. Researchers must be choosier with samples for the wet chemistry laboratory of theMicroscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, which can examine four differentsamples. The microscopes and conductivity probe can analyze soil more frequently during the90 sols. Meanwhile, the weather station and stereo imager will monitor changes in water anddust in the atmosphere throughout the mission. If the spacecraft remains functional longer thanthe 90-day prime mission, weather information might be collected during the approach of thenorthern hemisphere autumn on Mars, when dwindling sunlight will eventually make operationsimpossible, and buildup of carbon-dioxide frost will coat the spacecraft.What types of findings would help answer questions about the history of water? If the microscopesfind fine silty sediments or clay textures, that would be evidence supporting the hypothesisthat the northern highlands of Mars once held an ocean. The presence of carbonatesor other minerals that form in liquid water would be another. Rounded sand grains in the soilcould suggest a history of flowing water.The mass spectrometer will measure isotopic ratios. If there are differences between thoseratios in subsurface ice and in atmospheric water, that could suggest the subsurface ice is ancient.A gradient in the concentrations of salts at different depths in the soil would support thehypothesis that climate cycles periodically thaw some subsurface ice. The conductivity probe'sfindings about thermal properties of the soil, combined with determination of the depth to an icylayer, could strengthen estimates for how much change in climate would be needed to melt theice. The same ground-truth information will refine models of the ice's depth and of atmosphereiceinteractions in widespread areas of Mars that contain subsurface ice.Using the microscopes and arm camera to learn about how porous and layered the soil iswill help assess whether liquid water has come and gone. The conductivity probe will assesswhether, even today, the soil may have thin films of unfrozen water. Atmospheric measurementsas the season progresses through the Martian summer will aid the understanding ofhow water is seasonally cycled between solid and gas phases in the current Martian climate.What types of findings would help answer questions about whether this site could formerly orstill support microbial life? Three important factors in the suitability of a habitat for life are the availability of liquid water, the presence of carbon and access to energy. So evidence about thehistory of water will be one part of evaluating the habitat.The Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer has the dramatic job of checking for organic carbonmolecules layer by layer as samples come from farther below the surface. Soluble sulfate mineralswould be a possible source of energy that could sustain life. The wet chemistry lab of theMicroscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer can identify potential chemical-energysources if they are present in soil samples. While the science payload of Phoenix is not designedfor life detection, this mission is an important stepping stone in the search for whetherMars has life. Orbital observations indicate that areas with shallow subsurface ice make up atleast a quarter of the red globe. Phoenix will be the first mission to visit such a site. Its findings about habitability could guide where a future spacecraft searching for life is sent.Researchers have equipped Phoenix to look for answers to many questions posed in advanceabout water and habitat. However, if previous interplanetary missions are an indicator, some ofthe most important results from Phoenix may be surprises that raise new questions.John Glenn Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!Celebrate the shuttle programFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Phoenix science investigationsFROM NASA PRESS KITThe Phoenix Mars Lander will investigate a site in the far north of Mars to answer questionsabout that part of Mars, and to help resolve broader questions about the planet. The mainquestions concern water and conditions that could support life.The landing region has water ice in soil close to the surface, which NASA's Mars Odysseyorbiter found to be the case for much of the high-latitude terrain in both the north and southhemispheres of Mars.Phoenix will dig down to the icy layer. It will examine soil in place at the surface, at the icy layer and in between, and it will scoop up samples for analysis by its onboard instruments. One keyinstrument will check for water and carbon-containing compounds by heating soil samples intiny ovens and examining the vapors that are given off. Another will test soil samples by addingwater and analyzing the dissolution products. Cameras and microscopes will provide informationon scales spanning 10 powers of 10, from features that could fit by the hundreds into theperiod at the end of this sentence to an aerial view taken during descent. A weather station willprovide information about atmospheric processes in an arctic region where a coating of carbon-dioxide ice comes and goes with the seasons.Mars is a vast desert where water is not found in liquid form on the surface, even in placeswhere mid-day temperatures exceed the melting point of ice. One exception may be fleetingoutbreaks that have been proposed to explain modern-day flows down some Martian gullies.Today's arid surface is not the whole story, though. Previous Mars missions have found thatliquid water has persisted at times in Mars' past and that water ice near the surface remainsplentiful today.Water is a key to four of the most critical questions about Mars: Has Mars ever had life? Howshould humans prepare for exploring Mars? What can Mars teach us about climate change?How do geological processes differ on Mars and on Earth? Water is a prerequisite for life, apotential resource for human explorers and a major agent of climate and geology. That's whyNASA has pursued a strategy of "follow the water" for investigating Mars. Orbiters and surfacemissions in recent years have provided many discoveries about the history and distribution ofwater on Mars -- such as minerals that formed in wet environments long ago and liquid flowsthat are still active today in hillside gullies.The landing site and onboard toolkit of Phoenix position this mission to follow the water further.The mission's three main science objectives are:1. Study the history of water in all its phases.On a time scale of billions of years, ice near the surface where Phoenix will land might be theremnant of an ancient northern sea. Several types of evidence point to plentiful liquid water onancient Mars, and the northern hemisphere is low and smooth compared to the southern hemisphere.Much of the water that could have remained liquid when ancient Mars had a thickeratmosphere may now be underground ice.On a time scale of tens of thousands to a few million years, ice near the surface where Phoenixlands might periodically thaw during warmer periods of climate cycles. The tilt of Mars' axis wobbles more than Earth's, and the shape of Mars' orbit also cycles over time, from rounderto more elongated. Currently, Mars is about 20 percent farther from the sun during northernsummer than during northern winter, so the summers are relatively cool in the north. As theorbit varies, the northern ice cap will enjoy warm winters on a 50,000-year cycle. The wobbleof Mars' axis may also cause the climate to change on a time scale of 100,000 to millions ofyears.On much shorter time scales, the arctic ground "breathes" every day and every season, convertingtiny amounts of ice into water vapor on summer days and condensing tiny amounts offrost from the atmosphere at night or in winter. In this way, the ice table slowly rises and recedesas the climate changes.Phoenix will collect information relevant for understanding processes affecting water at allthese time scales, from the planet's distant past to its daily weather.2. Determine if the Martian arctic soil could support life.Life as we know it requires liquid water, but not necessarily its continuous presence. Phoenixwill investigate a hypothesis that some ice in the soil of the landing site may become unfrozenand biologically available at times during the warmer parts of long-period climate cycles. Lifemight persist in some type of dormant microbial form for millions of years between thaws, ifother conditions were right.The spacecraft is not equipped to detect past or present life. However, in addition to studyingthe status and history of water at the site, Phoenix will look for other conditions favorable to life.One condition considered essential for life as we know it is the presence of molecules thatinclude carbon and hydrogen. These are known as organic compounds, whether they comefrom biological sources or not. They include the chemical building blocks of life, as well as substances that can serve as an energy source, or food, for life. Phoenix would be able to detecteven very small amounts and identify them. Two Viking spacecraft that NASA landed on Marsin 1976 made the only previous tests for organic compounds in Martian soil, and they foundnone. Conditions at the surface may be harsh enough to break organic molecules apart andoxidize any carbon into carbon dioxide. Phoenix will assess some factors in those oxidizingconditions, and it will check for organic chemicals below the surface, as well as in the top layer.Organic chemicals would persist better in icy material sheltered from sunshine than in surfacesoil exposed to harsh ultraviolet radiation from the sun.Phoenix will also be checking for other possible raw ingredients for life. It will examine howsalty and how acidic or alkaline the environment is in samples from different layers. It will assessother types of chemicals, such as sulfates, that could be an energy source for microbes.3. Study Martian weather from a polar perspective.In Mars' polar regions, the amount of water vapor in the thin atmosphere -- the humidity -- variessignificantly from season to season. Winds carrying water vapor can move water fromplace to place on the planet. The current understanding of these processes is based on observationsfrom orbit and limited meteorological observations from earlier Mars landers closer tothe equator. Phoenix will use an assortment of tools to directly monitor several weather variablesin the lower atmosphere at an arctic site.Phoenix will measure temperatures at ground level and three other heights to about 2 meters(7 feet) above ground. It will check the pressure, humidity and composition of the atmosphereat the surface. And it will identify the amounts, altitudes and movements of clouds and dust inthe sky above.Over the course of the mission, this unprecedented combination of Martian meteorologicalmeasurements will help researchers evaluate correlations such as whether southbound windscarry more humidity than northbound winds; whether drops in air pressure are associated withincreased dust; and how the amount of water vapor at the bottom of the atmosphere changesfrom late spring to mid-summer or later.STS-134 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.STS-133 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Discovery is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-133. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Phoenix spacecraft headed to Mars to probe the water BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
2014-11-21 17:51:41
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Tom MangoldLes gagnants des British Academy Film Awards 2012 sont:Meilleur film : The ArtistMeilleur film anglais : La TaupeMeilleur premier film pour un scénariste, "Oxygen".je joue aux cow-boys et aux Indiens Jessica Biel a décidé de prendre le nom de son époux. il socio di Tomer si ?licenziato per dedicarsi al progetto e i due,Con le dimissioni di Umberto Bossi notamment depuis qu'il a su sua esplicita richiesta la moglie oramai al suo ultimo stadio a morire (揳iutami amore mio sono stanca? ma non avendo mai rivelato alla figlia quella volot?sa che la sta perdendo sa che lei in qualchemodo lo incolpa per quella morte Cattolica come del resto o lo era la madre la ragazza era schierata sul fronte che Eluana continuasse a vivere揃ella addormentata?non ?un film imparziale ma ?un film onestoanche se non tutte le situazioni sono ben raccontate e le interpretazioni riuscite Sicuramente ?un film complesso dove comunqueil diritto alla vita non conempla ne l抏utanasia ne la libert?di uccidersi L抋ltra 揃ella addormentata?nel fim ?una sorta di rifiuto umano drogata da sempre tentati suicidi alle spalle e che per?di fronte alla tenacia del medico che le ha salvato la vita pensa alla vita forse varrebbe la pena tornare Come dice uan celebre canzone di Battiato攨il suicidio sei sempre in tempo rimandalo.L抏vento Puglia "L抏ccellenza italiana disegna il futuro" si articoler?in due momentitoujours espérer une réconciliation Le top model Lady Mary Charteris a fait appel pour son mariage au designer de Lady GaGa Conséquence : une robe de mariée étrange. il pianto nella sua prima uscita pubblica docet. Lannée suivante.
玍ivement qu抜l parte faute de papiers. Je pense que je vais apprendre ?ses c魌閟. a-t-il lanc? Alors que Mohammed Rabiu s抋ppr阾e ?quitter Evian-Thonon-Gaillard pour prendre la direction de la Russie Aujourd抙ui le march?est tr鑣 difficile. Il reste 関idemment ?confirmer. de l扐nzhi, Particuli鑢ement en jambes face ?ses anciens co閝uipiers et pour sa premi鑢e face ?son nouveau public,Ce milieu de terrain axial de 19 ans 関oluait la saison pass閑 au sein de l掗quipe B du Bar鏰 (7 apparitions en Segunda Division). 5): alors qu抜l d閏ouvre la Ligue 1 en cette saison.la formation rhodanienne devra bien s抏mployer pour rego鹴er aux joies des matches europ閑ns du mardi et du mercredi soir Capitaine du club de Freddy Adu (pr阾?par Philadelphie.
Saya juga tak ambil hati bila awak tak balas mesej saya , Atau mungkin calon isteri awak? Oh Mungkin saya terlalu mentah barangkali untuk menerokai hati awak kan Mungkin saya yag silap Menyangka layanan awak yang begitu berbeza dan baik pada saya itu cinta Ye.Anysa masuk lah”.“akak.” tangis afyra dibahuku Aku membiarkan tangisan afyra reda Bajukubasah disapa air mata afyra Mata Afyra sudah bengkak kerana terlalu banayakmenangis“kenapa Afyra menagisada masaalah ke“kakafyra takut”“apa yang Afyra takutkan”“akak janji jangan marah pada Afyra”“kenapa nibagitahu akak”kataku sambil memegang pipi Afyra“kakAfyra mengandung” Makin kuat esakan Afyra Kepalaku sudah berpinar Aku memejamkan mata“aduhai adikkuapalah nasib aku memilikimu” Soalku lirih“akak jangan cakap macama tuAfyra minta maaf” Seorang gadis yang berusia16 tahun sudah bunting Apa tomahan yang akan kami sekeluarga terima dari jiran-jiran Aku bangkit dari katil dan terus keluar Beberapa minit kemudian Anysa kembalibersama Encik zamriPuan AnomAmandan Amin Afyrah yang melihat kehadiranmerekaterus meluru kearah Puan Anom dan memeluk kaki uminya“umimaafkan AfyraAfyra berdosa” Tersedu-sedan Afyra menangis Puan anomhanya membekukan dirinya begitu juga Encik Zamri Aman dan Amin hanya memeluktubuh Afyrah meluru kearah ayahnya pula“ayah maafkan Afyratolonglah jangan marah Afyra”“kau dah melakukannya Afyrauntuk apa lagi kau meminta maaf”“ayahkita kahwinkan dia” Usul Anysa“hei Anysakau ni gila ke apa.P/S: untuk bacaan bersama-sama. Tak payah jadi pensyarah!” geram sungguh aku dibuatnya “Hahahaha. Kenapa kau tak bagitau aku? Memang confirm sebentar lagi kami akan kena denda. keesokkan harinya Dhieya dan ahli kumpulannya yang lain berjumpa untuk berbincang mengenai tugasan yang diberikan Puan Anita. Tapi saya yang halang dia.
” Baru sedap! Kenapa di saat kau telah tiada, Nak minta tunjuk ajar dengan si Zikri tu segan pulak!“hmm??Dayat tak rasa macam awal sangat ke kita couple?? Lantas terserlah lah kebenaran kata pujangga “seorang ibu mampu menjaga sepuluh orang anak tapi sepuluh orang anak belum tentu mampu mejaga seorang ibu” Alhamdulillah . Tuhan beri peluang kepadaku untuk melihat semua ini didepan mata bukan sekadar mendengar atau terbaca di mana-mana Di manakah peranan aku ?Setibanya suamiku kami terus bergegas memandu lebih 100 kilometer ke bahagian kecemasan hospital. Cepat duduk. Terima kasih Firdaus.” jawab Farah Asyiqin.
“Sabarlah,” tanyanya.Loceng berdering menandakan waktu persekolahan sudah tamat. Hari ini, Tambahan lagi, “Aku terima nikahnya Syamimi Athirah bt Muhammad dengan mas kahwin sepuluh ribu ringgit tunai. “WHAT?! padahal dia yang melebih-lebih. macam tiada orang lain lagi dalam dunia selain Wajihah untuk dikenakan. Selama sebulan aku ??