凤凰号火星着陆器测试时的照片(Phoenix Mars Lander in Testing)

跨越地平线

NASA's next Mars-bound spacecraft, the Phoenix Mars Lander, was partway through assembly and testing at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, in September 2006, progressing toward an August 2007 launch from Florida. In this photograph, spacecraft specialists work on the lander after its fan-like circular solar arrays have been spread open for testing. The arrays will be in this configuration when the spacecraft is active on the surface of Mars.

Phoenix will land in icy soils near the north polar permanent ice cap of Mars and explore the history of the water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate. It will dig into the surface, test scooped-up samples for carbon-bearing compounds and serve as NASA's first exploration of a potential modern habitat on Mars.


美国宇航局的火星探测器——凤凰号火星着陆器,现在在丹佛的洛克希德-马丁空间系统组装车间进行测试,2006年9月。

凤凰号将于2007年8月发射. 这照片, 飞船着陆后专门通过扇面圆形太阳能阵列获得电力. 这个可以使飞船工作得更久. 凤凰号将会在火星的北极地区着陆，在那里探测是否有可以利用的水，和监测火星的极地气候。这次探测将会是火星探索中的里程碑。