Phoenix Receives Final Instructions, Prepares for Mars Landing

Phoenix, a robot spacecraft that's carrying out NASA's first Scout Program mission, has received its final instructions, and is on its own until it lands - or crashes.

The Phoenix mission is also the first mission to be lead by a public university: the University of Arizona.

Background, Updates and News:

• "NASA animated video
  Recapping the Phoenix mission, and what's hoped will happen after this evening.
• "Where is Phoenix?
  Phoenix Mars Mission website
  "Using the JPL Solar System Simulator this page shows the location of Phoenix.
  The JPL Solar System Simulator is currently experiencing technical difficulties. The images might not appear below. Thank you for your patience while this is being corrected."
• "Mission Updates: Phoenix Mars Lander's Red Planet Arrival"
  Space.com (May 25, 2008)
  "Mission scientists communicated with Phoenix for the last time before landing this morning, said Gary Napier, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin, which helped to build the lander.
  "After deciding to forgo this morning's trajectory correction opportunity, they updated a couple parameters in Phoenix files. So the spacecraft is set to go and now all mission controllers have to do is sit back and watch.
  " 'We could all go home and have a beer,' Napier told SPACE.com. Though that's unlikely to happen, as all the head mission scientists have places set in mission control, complete with nametags, where they'll be able to watch as data on Phoenix's landing attempt comes in...."

Exciting times.

I posted about the Phoenix mission yesterday: "Phoenix Attempts Landing on Mars Tomorrow" (May 24, 2008).