NASA’s Phoenix Spacecraft Lands Safely on Mars
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After traveling more than 400 million miles and 10-months in its journey from Earth, NASA’s Phoenix Lander touched down safely and sent its first transmissions from the Martian arctic surface Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory were thrilled.
The entry-descent-landing period, when the lander separates from the spacecraft, enters the atmosphere and brakes from 12,000 mph to 5 mph, has been described as “seven minutes of terror.”
The landing appeared to be almost picture perfect. Each event, from the deployment of the parachute to the firing of the thrusters that slowed the lander for the final 300 feet to the surface, occurred just as JPL had planned.
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