Aerojet Propulsion Gears Up For Critical Phoenix Mars Landing Maneuvers

MARSDAILY

"Aerojet joins NASA and our customer Lockheed Martin in anticipation of a smooth landing on Mars," said Aerojet President Scott Neish. "We are proud to be part of this historic event."

by Staff Writers
Sacramento CA (SPX) May 22, 2008
Aerojet, Lockheed Martin and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are counting on 12 Aerojet lander engines to smoothly land NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander onto the surface of Mars on May 25, 2008.

Aerojet's eight cruise engines have guided the spacecraft to Mars, and the 12 lander engines will execute the first successful actively guided descent onto the northern plains of Mars since the twin Viking Landers arrived in 1976.

Each of the three Mars orbiters is adjusting its orbit to be over the right place at the right time to support the landing - Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter carry Aerojet propulsion, as have all U.S. missions to Mars since the historic Viking Landers. The third spacecraft on alert is the European Space Agency's Mars Express.

Every landing on Mars entails complex maneuvers. The three orbiters will track Phoenix as it streaks through Mars' atmosphere breaking new ground with critical events coverage during a robotic landing. NASA expects to track Phoenix during the crucial entry, descent and landing events and for as much as one minute after touchdown.

"Aerojet joins NASA and our customer Lockheed Martin in anticipation of a smooth landing on Mars," said Aerojet President Scott Neish. "We are proud to be part of this historic event."

NASA's Phoenix mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us Digg Reddit

YahooMyWeb Google Facebook

Related Links
Aerojet
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

MARSDAILY

Mars Express Mission Controllers Ready For NASA Phoenix Landing

Paris, France (ESA) May 21, 2008
ESA's Mars Express mission control team are ready to monitor Phoenix's critical entry, descent and landing onto the Martian surface on 26 May 2008. The Mars Express mission control team have completed major preparations for supporting the entry, descent and landing (EDL) phase of NASA's Phoenix mission to the Red Planet.

NUCLEAR SPACE Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2 Outside View: Nuclear future in space Nuclear Power In Space	MOON DAILY X PRIZE Foundation Holds Team Summit On Private Moon Race To Land A Robot Astronaut Health On Moon May Depend On Good Dusting Inhaling For Exploration As Scientists Test Lunar Breathing System Send Your Name To The Moon With New Lunar Mission
SPACE TRAVEL Why Do Astronauts Suffer From Space Sickness ESA And Space Tourism NASA's 50th birthday marked in art exhibit NASA Seeks Industry Partners For Innovation Transfusion Program	OUTER PLANETS New Horizon Tones Green On All Beacons As Long Cruise To Pluto Continues New Horizons Crosses 9 AU ASU Research Solves Solar System Quandary Happy Second Birthday New Horizons
JOVIAN DREAMS Wandering Poles Leave Giant Scars On Europa's Icy Surface Scientists Find Rings Of Jupiter Are Shaped In Shadow Novel Spots Found On Jupiter Seeing Red	VENUSIAN HEAT Venus Express Provides First Detection Of Hydroxyl In Atmosphere Of Venus Key Molecule Found In Venus Atmosphere Venus Express Reboots The Search For Active Volcanoes On Venus The Puzzling Eye Of A Hurricane On Venus
SATURN DAILY Cassini Saturn Moon Maps Will Provide Guideposts For Future Explorers DLR Scientists Produce An Atlas Of Saturn's Moon Dione Cassini Radar Peers Through Haze Of Saturn Moon Titan Saturn Does The Wave In Upper Atmosphere	TECH SPACE Self-Repairing Aircraft Could Revolutionize Aviation Safety Northrop Grumman Resonating Gyro Achieves 10 Million Operating Hours In Space US, China Space Debris Still Orbiting Earth TerraSAR-X And NFIRE Fire Up The Pipe With Laser Data Transfer

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement