Phoenix Mars Lander Update

Despite all the reported electrical problems on the Mars rovers, NASA has released positive results on the Martian soil tests performed Sunday July 5, 2008 by the Phoenix rover.

There had been concerns that this might be the last sample that the TEGA (Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer) could process due to electrical circuit problems on the Phoenix rover.

There has been one sample previously delivered to the TEGA two weeks ago. Current samples will be compared to these previous sample results. The third sample to be sent to the TEGA will not be soil.

NASA plans to gather a pure sample of the white substance we see in the trenches the Phoenix scoop has been digging in the Martian soil. They have been practicing sample recovery methods today.

All indications are that the third test will complete the data needed to determine the question of whether there is, or ever has been, water on the surface of Mars. This sample will be placed in the Phoenix TEGA later this week.

Success with these tests will hopefully remove NASA concerns about further TEGA electrical problems. There has been no further mention of circuit problems on the Phoenix rover main circuit boards.

Do check the Blogroll on the right side of the page for the latest posts and articles on space exploration.

Recently here on Galaxy Voyager, we have focused our posts on the Mars Expedition rovers. Soon we shall report the latest news on plans to repair the Hubble Telescope, and a story about finding Earth-like planets in deep space.

As always, we thank NASA for their great images and animations. We also hope all you folks at NASA get a good nights’ rest tonight.

You deserve a break today.
Smiles. ET

Mars Lander Problem Update

The latest update from NASA reports that the Phoenix Mars Lander’s Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) is experiencing serious circuit problems.

It seemed as if the Phoenix was impatiently pawing in the Martian soil last week. What was delaying the movement of those soil samples in to the TEGA? Now we know.

There have been hints of circuit problems since the Phoenix arrived on the Martian surface 35 Sols ago. The Mars Lander went to the computer back-up operating system immediately upon arrival.

As I followed this story over the past several weeks I have found the basic mother board on the Phoenix was made by IBM, and is running UNIX software.

The Operating System is installed on the mother board in a chip, much like the Bios on your personal computer. I have seen the mother board on the Phoenix Lander described on Tech blogs as “twice today’s Xbox and running at 128 MHz”.

NASA team engineers recently did a software fix completely using the one flash drive available for the Mars Lander. The software fix appeared to take care of known “circuit” problems at the time.

The TEGA circuit problems appear to be related to a faulty circuit. I don't know if this circuit is hard wired, or on a board. A circuit with a fault can short circuit, and a short circuit can burn out your wiring. When you burn out your wiring, nothing works.

Concerns are that the soil samples gathered last week have dried out.

The NASA team understands they may have only one test performed by the TEGA before the circuits go. They want that one soil sample to tell them about the Martian soil substance believed to be ice.

NASA is planning to deliver a fresh soil sample to the TEGA Sunday morning. The NASA team then plans to send the signal for the TEGA to begin testing immediately.

Soon we will all have more answers.

Smile. ET

This Week on Mars

Success sometimes comes in small packages. Scientists are learning to operate the Phoenix scoop with precision and gathering specific samples of the Martian soil.

This week the team made 50 scrapes with the Phoenix Lander scoop in the Snow White Trench. They gathered these in to small piles equaling only teaspoons of material.

Each pile of soil comes from a particular sample area within the Snow Trench. Some of the piles are believed to have a high enough ice content to show water in the tests.

The scoop will now move a sample of the Martian soil from one of the small piles in to the TEGA for analysis.

The team appears to be getting the more mechanical aspects of the Phoenix Lander Mission under control. Next we see how the testing equipment does. And then, we'll have more answers.

For more information on the this story, check out the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab website for their press release on the Snow White scrapings.

Smiles. ET

Latest Phoenix Mars Lander NASA News Release

Latest news on the Phoenix Mars Lander is mostly positive. We keep getting whiffs of problems, those problems disappear, and the next we hear is the problem is solved.
We are getting some fresh whiffs in this release.

NASA and the University of Arizona, held a joint media teleconference at 10:30 a.m. PDT (1:30 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, June 26, 2008 and provided information on the Mars Mission.

Yesterday, the Phoenix put its first scoop of Martian soil into the TEGA. It is an instrument designed to test the soil samples for alkalinity and The TEGA can also determine whether water had ever been present in the soil.

In yesterdays post, I commented that I don’t think the white substance we see in the Martian pictures from the Mars Lander is ice. I think we are looking at a salt bed.
I got more validation for this idea today when I ran across an article at NASA website on called, “ “. It explains how salts can prevent life from ever developing on a planet.
The article is a good read and gives information on several of the Mars Rover Missions. It will help you better understand the numerous missions that are part of exploring Mars.
There are actually “Two Rovers Operating on Mars” at this moment. You don’t read much about the Spirit Rover, but this article will give you an update on its slow but persistent life on Mars.
The oven doors on the Phoenix Lander are not opening properly, though NASA get enough soil into the TEGA ovens to do the tests. The first batch arrived as a clump and it four days to sift it in to the TEGA oven.
Interesting NASA says that are holding the TEGA ovens with the largest door openings for “ice” samples. We shall see.
Our “whiff” of a new problem comes with news that:
“Engineers have identified possible problems in the mechanical and electrical operation of that instrument, the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA.”
More on this story as it unfolds.
You can view some really great pictures of the Phoenix Mars Lander when you have the NASA Mars Screensaver. It is free and is updated regularly with the latest Mars Mission photos. Right now, it has a lot of images showing the TEGA.
Check it out. The images will give you a lot better idea of what this instrument looks like. I am curious if each oven has its own TEGA. We will get a better idea how this all works as we go along.
Anyone have an opinion on the “ice/salt” question? Let us all know what it is.

Welcome to Galaxy Voyager

It is nice to have you drop by. Let me explain where the Galaxy Voyager blog is going.

We will scour the Internet for the latest news, best blogs, and the greatest websites on the subject of Space Exploration. We will update regularly so you will be assured you will find  the latest information on a variety of subjects.

The Blog List at the bottom of this page represents the best resources I can currently find on the Internet related to Space Exploration. You have the classic NASA and Hubble websites, and others with a great deal of information on space exploration and space travel.

I also have mentioned several blogs that cover Space. You will find basic coverage of the Phoenix Mars Lander Mission on Uduzit.

The current hot story is yesterdays'  NASA news release concerning mounting evidence of water on Mars. Uduzit covers that story, though Ethan over at Starts With A Bang has quite a different take on the subject.

We will be watching the Mars Mission closely, so to start you out I have included the original news clip for the successful landing of the Phoenix Mars Lander 23 days ago. We will use plenty videos, images, and animations to tell our news here.