Model Mars Lander Part of NASA's 50th Anniversary Celebration
This artist's concept shows NASA's Phoenix spacecraft en route to Mars. (Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Calech/University of Arizona)
In this artist's rendition, Phoenix is hurtling towards Mars at 16,000 miles per hour and is minutes away from entering the atmosphere. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Mission, University of Arizona)
A replica model of the Phoenix Mars Mission lander will be on display during the celebration this week.
A replica of the Phoenix Mars Lander has landed in the foyer of a U.S. Capitol building.
A quarter-sized model of the lander will be on display in the Rayburn Office Building this week as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s 50th anniversary. The real Mars lander is just weeks from touching down on the Red planet.
A reception being held Thursday will include remarks from U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., University of Arizona President Robert N. Shelton and representatives of NASA and the Phoenix Mars Mission.
Once the lander has set down on the Martian soil, which is scheduled to happen May 25, NASA will transfer control of the three-month long mission to UA scientists in Tucson. The purpose is to research the history of water and to determine the habitability potential in the planet's arctic's ice-rich soil.
"Throughout this academic year, the UA has prepared for the landing of the Phoenix Mission by telling its story to UA football game fans, K-12 science students, visitors to the Arizona Capitol Museum and at many other venues," said Paul G. Allvin, UA associate vice president for communications.
"Phoenix's landing at the U.S. capital is a capstone event for the UA," Allvin said, "which is the first public university to lead a mission to Mars."
et cetera
- Extra Info | UA Mars