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  #91 (permalink)  
Old 11-January-2007, 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by galacsi View Post
Sending a rover on Mars is no more money than a hollywood blockbuster.
Estimated record production cost, Superman Returns, $260 million. Mars Pathfinder launch and operation, estimated: $265 million.

Pretty good. Different generations and dollars, but pretty good.

MER missions, 2 rovers, estimated $820 million. Cheaper by the pair. $410 million per. About a movie-and-a-half.
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  #92 (permalink)  
Old 11-January-2007, 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by 01101001 View Post
Estimated record production cost, Superman Returns, $260 million. Mars Pathfinder launch and operation, estimated: $265 million.

Pretty good. Different generations and dollars, but pretty good.

MER missions, 2 rovers, estimated $820 million. Cheaper by the pair. $410 million per. About a movie-and-a-half.
The MERs could effectively be considered separate projects, given that they're not exactly tripping over each other in terms of what they're studying.
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  #93 (permalink)  
Old 11-January-2007, 11:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Doodler View Post
The MERs could effectively be considered separate projects, given that they're not exactly tripping over each other in terms of what they're studying.
Certainly. I still have to think their unit cost is cheaper because we sent two. I think a single MER would have cost more than half the pair -- for purposes of comparing movie production costs and Mars rovers.
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Old 12-January-2007, 12:15 AM
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The second rover added about 50% - from about $600m to about $850m - very very roughly.

Doug
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Old 17-January-2007, 08:44 PM
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Phoenix landing site woes

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Aviation Now and The Rocky Mountain News have reported on two problems facing the Phoenix Mars lander, which is supposed to launch this summer: a $10 to $35 million cost overrun (which, though not at all trivial, does have an easy enough fix, though the future consequences to other Mars missions may be tough to stomach) and a serious hazard within the planned landing region (which is harder to fix).
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Old 31-January-2007, 07:11 PM
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Mars mission clears hurdle
Phoenix project proceeds despite cost overruns


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NASA's Colorado-built Phoenix mission to Mars just dodged a lethal bullet.

Mission leaders survived a "termination review" in Washington, D.C., on Friday and gained approval to proceed toward an August launch despite cost overruns, said lead mission scientist Peter Smith of the University of Arizona.
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  #97 (permalink)  
Old 17-February-2007, 09:28 AM
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I hear it will be launched by the Delta II, a number of instruments from the cancelled 'Scout' and 'Surveyor-2001' will be making a comeback
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Old 17-February-2007, 04:17 PM
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Something of a mix of missions there. Phoenix is the first of the Mars Scout program missions (every other opportunity - in the $400M ish range)

It takes the 'chassis' of the cancelled 2001 lander - but the instruments are mainly ones designed for the failed 1998 Mars Polar Lander. The instruments for the 2001 Lander ( called APEX.. Athena Precursor Experiment as a Mossbauer, Mini-TES and Pancam ) ended up as MER's Athena Payload .

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Old 23-February-2007, 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by djellison View Post
Something of a mix of missions there. Phoenix is the first of the Mars Scout program missions (every other opportunity - in the $400M ish range)

It takes the 'chassis' of the cancelled 2001 lander - but the instruments are mainly ones designed for the failed 1998 Mars Polar Lander. The instruments for the 2001 Lander ( called APEX.. Athena Precursor Experiment as a Mossbauer, Mini-TES and Pancam ) ended up as MER's Athena Payload .

Doug
Thanks for clearing that up
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Old 13-April-2007, 08:26 PM
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Undergraduate paves way for NASA Mars mission

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A team led by Raymond E. Arvidson, Ph.D., James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences, has been analyzing images taken from a NASA instrument to make sure that the Phoenix spacecraft lands in a spot on the Red planet's northern plains that is relatively rock-free.

"The craft has to land in a place unlikely to have slopes more than 16 degrees relative to horizontal, and it shouldn't have very many rocks higher than 30 to 40 centimeters (roughly one foot high)," said Arvidson, who also is chair of the Washington University earth and planetary sciences department. "We've been looking for locations big enough and homogeneous enough for a high probability of a successful landing. The issue isn't slopes. The issue is rocks."
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  #101 (permalink)  
Old 20-April-2007, 04:35 AM
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I am SO excited about this mission. I have just sent my application form for the Student Interns Program. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong, and I will be picked to spend a year and a half on this project. Yeah!!
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  #102 (permalink)  
Old 26-April-2007, 04:59 PM
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Default Phoenix Lander

Wow , I feel sorry for Venus Lander It would be awful to live like that

On the other hand I cannot wait for those Martian Polar pics , I have waited far too long for them , and I believe it WILL revolutionize our understanding of Mars.

It will NOT fail and is only the first of the scout missions that will lead us to the greatest adventure in space exploration history , Another giant leap and a human on Mars!
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Old 26-April-2007, 05:00 PM
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Default Phoenix lander

$
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  #104 (permalink)  
Old 26-April-2007, 06:18 PM
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I heard that during the phoenix mission a dvd will be leave on mars, and if it is found to the spacies of mars then it will be more remarkable and amazing one.
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  #105 (permalink)  
Old 26-April-2007, 08:34 PM
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I heard that during the phoenix mission a dvd will be leave on mars, and if it is found to the spacies of mars then it will be more remarkable and amazing one.
The Phoenix DVD
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  #106 (permalink)  
Old 27-April-2007, 05:23 PM
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Did you put your name on it ?
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  #107 (permalink)  
Old 27-April-2007, 07:06 PM
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Probably. Not sure any more. I've put my name (and my friends') on lots of these thing.
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  #108 (permalink)  
Old 08-May-2007, 08:40 PM
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Phoenix has arrived at KSC

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NASA's next Mars mission, the Phoenix lander, has winged its way to Florida aboard a C-17 transport plane, according to Leonard David, who apparently got to hitch a ride with the spacecraft yesterday. He says the landing was smooth, so Phoenix should be good to go for its final assembly and testing before its planned August launch. It's going to be an exciting summer, bracketed by the launch of two small but capable missions, Dawn to the asteroid belt and Phoenix to Mars!
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Old 09-May-2007, 03:02 AM
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Emily sure is great for keeping up to date with this stuff, are any baut members going to be at Canaveral for the launch ?
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  #110 (permalink)  
Old 09-May-2007, 01:27 PM
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I heard that a "dvd" will be place on mars of "space enthusiasts of the world" by embossing their names on this dvd? during this mission, the phoenix mission is going to leave a special dvd on mars ?
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  #111 (permalink)  
Old 09-May-2007, 02:02 PM
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I heard that a "dvd" will be place on mars of "space enthusiasts of the world" by embossing their names on this dvd?
Planetary Society: Phoenix DVD

Quote:
Thousands of people from around the world, joined our age's visionaries of space exploration by adding their names to this remarkable message to the future! The Planetary Society collected names, which will travel to Mars on the Phoenix DVD.
(But, it's too late to add a name now.)
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  #112 (permalink)  
Old 10-May-2007, 12:20 PM
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Planetary Society: Phoenix DVD



(But, it's too late to add a name now.)
thanks, I am too late to add the name in the dvd. if the same dvd found to alien of mars, then will they capable to read it!!

sunil
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  #113 (permalink)  
Old 26-May-2007, 06:21 PM
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What I learnt from the news that most probably in coming months the journey will start towards mars by a phoenix mission, I think it will remarkably great achievement by the concerns (viz. canandian space agency, Arizona states University, nochatel University Switzerland, nasa, ) combine. I have also heard that a CD will be leave on the surface of the mars, its a great idea.

So what we are expecting from this mission on mars? a. water search, b. oxygen search, c. dwelable place or not.

Today the world's eyes are raised towards this important mission.

How many days it will take to reach there on mars! This is the sort of mission which kept the people(the concerns) more accurate, more early after the last mission, this will assist in performing the goal which was set by them towards the different researches.

The scientists and team as whole there are greatly doing the things differently and this commendable for all of us.

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  #114 (permalink)  
Old 26-May-2007, 07:11 PM
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I have also heard that a CD will be leave on the surface of the mars, its a great idea.
It's not exactly a new idea. Among the earliest, second-sol images Mars Exploration Rover Spirit sent back to Earth were images of the CD carried on its lander base: from Spirit :: Panoramic Camera :: Sol 002

Many big missions carry/will carry/carried CDs/DVDs/microchips, by recollection, among them: Beagle II, Cassini, Dawn, Deep Impact, Huygens, Mars Polar Lander, MER-A, MER-B, New Horizons, Phoenix, SELENE, Stardust.

The idea probably goes back to the Pioneer plaques and Voyager record, though not all major missions did it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by suntrack2
So what we are expecting from this mission on mars? a. water search, b. oxygen search, c. dwelable place or not.
I don't know what we are expecting, but the mission page describes the mission:

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Phoenix is designed to study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic's ice-rich soil.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suntrack2
How many days it will take to reach there on mars!
Cruise-phase page:

Quote:
The cruise phase lasts for approximately 10 months as Phoenix makes its way to Mars.
For details, see University of Arizona/NASA Phoenix Mars Mission Pages.
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  #115 (permalink)  
Old 26-May-2007, 08:34 PM
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Threads merged.
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Old 06-July-2007, 01:28 AM
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(Just) One Image Planned During Descent of Phoenix

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Extensive testing of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander in preparation for an August launch has uncovered a potential data-handling problem in time to modify plans for use of a camera during the final minutes of arrival at Mars.

The testing results led to a decision to take just one photograph with the spacecraft's Mars Descent Imager. The mission will still be capable of accomplishing all of its science goals.
===

Phoenix Mission Page: 28 days to launch
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Old 10-July-2007, 01:25 AM
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Possible landing site chosen?

Andrew Brown.
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Old 10-July-2007, 01:28 AM
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Possible landing site chosen?
Green Valley? The more excitable woo-meisters won't need false colors to incorrectly conclude Mars is lush with plant life if NASA sends a lander to Green Valley.

January, 2007, Planetary Society Planetary News: A Green Valley for Phoenix:

Quote:
One tool that the landing site working group used to determine the safety of the landing regions painted each region in green, yellow, or red depending on whether the site was safe, contained potential problems, or was too hazardous. And the Box 1 valley "is so green that it's been labeled 'Green Valley,'" Smith said.
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Old 10-July-2007, 01:39 AM
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Hi there, hopefully the woo-woos will not latch onto that. I do not know why that valley in Scandia Colles is called Green Valley?

It will be anything but green. Minus 140 Celsius Winter, frigid cold still in Summer, very little atmosphere.

No doubt the woo-woos will make capital out of it.

Unfortunately.

Andrew Brown.
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Last edited by 3488; 10-July-2007 at 02:03 AM..
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  #120 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2007, 02:05 AM
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Hi there, hopefully to woo-woos will not latch onto that. I do not know why that valley in Scandia Colles is called Green Valley?

Hi Andrew

It's not listed in the planetary gazetteer as a formal name. So I assume it is somebody's idea of irony.

Incidently there is a crater on Mars called Green, after the British astronomer Nathan Green (1823-1899). It's at 52.7 degrees S and 8.4 degrees W. Next to Roddenberry.

Jon
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