Jet DECEMBER Propulsion 2008 Laboratory volume 38

number 12

Phoenix says its goodbyes By Mark Whalen Cold, clouds do in mission to Mars arctic

The visit was relatively short, but it was oh, so sweet. JPL’s Phoenix lander had only a brief lifetime on the surface of Mars, finally succumbing to the harsh elements of the Red Planet’s arctic north. But by all accounts it was well worth the trip. “We knew that the environment was stacked up against us and there was no way to win,” said Phoenix Mission Manager Chris Lewicki. “So we just had to make the best use of our time as possible.” After landing on Mars on May 25, Phoenix had a successful run of 151 sols, or Martian days, far exceed- ing its planned 90-day mission to conduct and return science data. Engineers last received a signal from the lander on Nov. 2 (sol 157). In addition to shorter day- light, the spacecraft encountered a dustier sky, more clouds and colder temperatures as the northern Mars summer approached autumn. Lewicki noted that in the extended mission water- ice clouds became an increasing wildcard, especially “The Phoenix arm’s life requirements were actually “There’s always a discovery where you say, ‘my instru- when combined with dust storms. While this was not a more extensive than those of MER,” he said. “By the ment must be broken, this can’t be right,’” he added. surprise, the engineering team had not anticipated the time we were coming up with the requirements for “For us, that was the discovery of perchlorate. This is clouds’ effect. “The clouds get fairly dense, so they have Phoenix, the motors on the MER arm had not yet ac- fairly innocuous-looking stuff that contains a tremen- just about the same effect as a dust storm. They block cumulated that same amount of life. dous amount of energy. On Earth, we use it for rocket out the sun and diffuse it in a similar way that dust in “Getting samples from the surface of a planetary fuel, fireworks and for making breathing oxygen. Under the atmosphere does. None of our models showed how body into an in-situ instrument is a tricky operation,” Mars conditions it won’t explode, but it dissolves read- to survive through that. The clouds were a lot thicker he added. “You really need to deal with a lot of un- ily in water and can control the humidity around it, and stayed around a lot longer than any of the clouds certainties and unknowns and design a system that is much like the salt in a cigar humidor. That could be a that Spirit or Opportunity had seen, for example.” robust to that uncertainty. We designed Phoenix for big issue for life. While perchlorate can cause hypothy- Still in all, Phoenix has been considered a success a 90-day mission, and there’s some margin built into roidism in humans, it isn’t much of a chemical hazard from its first day on Mars. that. It’s not too surprising that it lasted a lot longer.” for microbes—unless we’re dealing with microbes with “There was a sigh of relief when we landed—it was a “Phoenix has been a delightful challenge,” said Mi- thyroid glands.” bull’s-eye from our standpoint,” said Robert Bonitz, who chael Hecht, principal investigator for the Microscopy, “But in terms of the eventual human exploration of developed and operated Phoenix’s robotic arm. “It was Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA), Mars,” he said, “you couldn’t have asked for anything reasonably flat, not overly rocky, nothing we couldn’t one of two soil instruments on the spacecraft, which more exciting than a source of fuel and oxygen. This is handle. It worked out really well.” used a suite of four tools to examine Martian soil. huge.” In the end, he said, the team didn’t have to do as “The data we’ve acquired really changes the land- The wet chemistry lab also discovered “garden-variety much digging as planned, since the ice table was only scape of our understanding of the planet. Certainly, it calcium carbonate” at the level of a few percent. Its 2 to 7 centimeters down. “We designed the arm to dig was technically very successful and it accomplished presence implies that water on Mars would have a simi- a half-meter trench but we didn’t have to excavate that everything it set out to do scientifically. lar pH to that of Earth’s oceans, which is controlled by much; although we dug many smaller trenches all over “My greatest excitement came from the wet chem- calcium carbonate. “This is terribly important,” Hecht the workspace,” he said. istry experiment,” Hecht said. “Wet chemistry tells said. “We’ve been looking for it, but no one has found it “I was pleased it performed as well as it did. It ac- us about processes that would affect any life on Mars before.” complished what it was supposed to in terms of digging and might even affect geology if rocks were ever Hecht also noted that MECA included both optical trenches and delivering samples.” exposed to water. When you explore the role water microscopy and atomic force microscopy, which offers a Bonitz noted fundamental differences between the plays in microbial life and geology, you’re interested level of resolution “no one has ever achieved before in arms for Phoenix and the Mars Exploration Rovers in the chemistry of what would dissolve in water, even space. We found a population of small, sand-size, glassy —which he also developed. “The rovers, for the most if the water isn’t there now.” particles, in all colors—they’re less than the thickness part, deploy instruments on the end of their arms; but “Our approach is like making tea, then seeing what of a human hair, but under a microscope they’re beauti- when they do that, there is not a lot of arm motion. it tastes like,” Hecht said. “That gives us the most ful to look at. These colorful particles are embedded in Phoenix has had to do a lot of digging, and sometimes direct answer to the question of whether something ran for hours. that needs water could live on Mars.” Continued on page 2 2

Phoenix is far I definitely knew We just had more satisfying in what sol it was, to make the n i v e r s e

U that it had a good but I didn’t know best use of surface mission; what day it was our time as we accomplished on Earth, which possible. basically what we was kind of a Chris Lewicki set out to do. strange situation.

Robert Denise Katie Dunn

Our approach is like making The rovers, for the most tea, then seeing what it tastes part, deploy instruments on like. That gives us the most the end of their arms; but direct answer to the question when they do that, there of whether something that is not a lot of arm motion. needs water could live on Phoenix has had to do a lot Mars. of digging, and sometimes ran for hours. Michael Hecht Robert Bonitz Carol Carol Lachata / JPL Photo Lab

Phoenix Continued from page 1 Robert Denise, who served several roles on Phoenix, culminating as tactical mission the fine, red dust we see everywhere on Mars. With the atomic force microscope we manager. can see that the fine dust particles are angular, sharp and flat. That tells us a great “When we first touched down, we didn’t know how deep the ice was. We had built deal about how they came to be there, how they’re going to behave, and why they stick the arm to be able to excavate to nearly half a meter deep, hoping we’d be able to together so tenaciously.” capture ice in the first half meter. And the fact that we encountered it 7 to 10 centi- Other unprecedented measurements came from the “conductivity” portion of the meters below the surface was amazing. So then it became how much can we dig, how instrument—using a probe at the end of the robotic arm that measured the electrical much can we expose? It would have been utterly unrealistic to expose the ice across and thermal properties of the soil to help understand the amount of water in the soil in the entire work area, but it would have been fun to try.” the solid, liquid and vapor phases. Denise is a veteran of the Mars Polar Lander mission in 1999, which was lost dur- “I tremendously enjoyed running this out of the University of Arizona,” Hecht added. ing descent and landing. The experience showed him to not get emotionally attached “I know it’s a long way from home, and I joked that it was like summer camp. For to the spacecraft. “It was like stepping off a curb when you don’t expect it—the fact some, the remote location was a challenge. But it let us get away from all the other that it was suddenly not there and didn’t have an opportunity to reach its science distractions and let us focus entirely on making those 150 days as fully successful as goals.” possible.” There’s no doubt, however, that Phoenix was a positive experience. Being on Mars time, and in Tucson, in different ways affected Katie Dunn, a science “Phoenix is far more satisfying in that it had a good surface mission; we accom- plan integrator responsible for building the primary sequence that coordinated all of plished basically what we set out to do,” he said. the payload sequences each sol. “I love all my children the same even though they’re all different. I was there for “Part of it is that we were working really long hours—12 to 14 hours a day—and you landing day for both MERs. They had a 90-day mission in front of them as well; now would end up starting at the end of one day, then you might work what seemed like the rovers have lasted five years. When Phoenix landed we knew that we wouldn’t be through the whole next day, and then come back the following day. Time passed really able to do that. quickly,” Dunn said. But, “Absolutely, it was no less rewarding,” he said. “It’s been a good run.” “I definitely knew what sol it was but I didn’t know what day it was on Earth, which “Being able to operate 151 sols on Mars, with the exception of three of those days was kind of a strange situation,” she said. “I would be out driving in Tucson and won- —the only days we didn’t do science—I’m proud that we were able to keep the system der why there was so much traffic in the middle of the morning, then I realize, oh, it’s running smoothly enough to give 148 sols of operations to the science community,” Saturday, that’s why people are out and about. Or I would wonder why there wasn’t Lewicki said. “I certainly feel very good about that. traffic at rush hour, then realize it was a Saturday night. It was like living in a Martian “There’s a little regret on the team that we couldn’t get just a few more weeks out bubble.” of it,” Lewicki said. “Given the design of the spacecraft and the environment that it Dunn, who has worked for the Lab for 3½ years, will soon move to the Juno mission’s was in, it didn’t take much of a dust storm to just really knock the wind out of us, and flight system engineering team, when she will relocate to Denver, at least until launch that’s what happened. in August 2011. But she doesn’t mind the travel. “We oftentimes compare Phoenix to Ranger, where we knew our fate before we “JPL as an institution was really supportive while we were working in Tucson, al- launched,” he added. “We knew it was going to end this way, figuring that sometime ways wondering how we were doing and attempting to make our relocation to Tucson around sol 90 or later, we’re just going to run out of juice, and we’re going to have as short as possible,” Dunn said. “Living in Tucson and working on Mars time allowed unfinished plans, and it’s going to be over. With Ranger, of course, they launched on a many of us on the operations team to get to know each other well. That was really fun.” terminal mission, and the whole point was to smash into the moon, and get that one Although in an extended mission at its demise, time ran out on Phoenix for some data picture a quarter-second before impact. collection and analysis. “It’s been different for everyone, knowing that Phoenix died of natural causes. You “In the last several weeks of operations it became very clear that the science goals know, we shouldn’t really be sad about it. We’re of course sad to see it go, but we pushed out to future sols wouldn’t all fit into the remainder of the mission,” noted should be happy with the life that it lived.” Smooth 3

deployment n i v e r s e tests for U Aquarius

By Brian Frank

When Aquarius begins measuring sea surface salinity from orbit in mid-2010, it will collect more data in two months than has been amassed by ships and in-water sensors in 100 years. Housed on an Argentine satellite, it will map Earth’s surface once every seven days, pro- viding 150-kilometer resolution and returning measure- ments that will be off by no more than a pinch of salt to a gallon of water. Aquarius/SAC-D [Satelite Aplicaciones Cientificas-D], a three-year joint mission with Argentina, will mark the first time salinity has been measured from space, and Tom Wynne / JPL Tom Photo Lab it will help further our understanding of climate change by helping scientists answer questions about how fresh of tests. For these dynamics tests, Aquarius will have Jon Dalshaug, left, and Charlie Fisher prepare to stow the Aquarius boom water input and output affects the ocean and the global to endure vibrations and a barrage of sound waves after a successful deployment in JPL’s high bay. water cycle. more violent than those created inside the nosecone of Of course, to collect data the instrument must deploy a rocket during launch. properly once in orbit. Aquarius contains a microwave “We’ve designed deliberately to higher levels (than sure), Aquarius will head to Argentina, where it will be radiometer and scatterometer, which are about an order what it will receive during launch),” Collins said. “The mounted on the SAC-D spacecraft, shipped to Brazil of magnitude more accurate than any previously flown. system is designed to be able to handle this, but it’s for even more tests, and finally sent to Vandenberg They send and receive signals by bouncing them off a once again another nerve-wracking activity.” Air Force Base, where it will hitch a ride on a Delta-II reflector poised 2 meters away on the end of a boom. In June, following a few other rounds of testing rocket to space, bound for its first-of-a-kind mission Like a sleeping spider, the instrument will be folded (predominantly repeats of earlier tests for good mea- and three years of service. up during its journey in the fairing of a Delta-II rocket, its reflector nestled up against the primary structure. Once the spacecraft has been released and successfully inserted into orbit, Aquarius will unfold and stretch its single mechanical limb. ‘ShakeOut’ exercise It’s a one-time, mission-critical event, said Simon Col- lins, the instrument manager for Aquarius. “We need to tests Lab’s readiness ensure a full deployment.” JPL participated in what is considered to be the larg- A JPL team led by Collins has been integrating and est earthquake drill in United States history, the “Great testing Aquarius since its radiometer arrived from Southern California ShakeOut” on Nov. 13. The exercise Goddard Space Flight Center early this year, and on simulated the aftermath of a 7.8 earthquake. Nov. 12 they successfully proved the instrument can Shortly after 10 a.m. JPLers performed a “drop, cover deploy on its own. Testing went smoothly and marked and hold,” followed by the evacuation of more than a major milestone for Aquarius on its path to launch, 4,000 employees and contractors, who were moved to capping a year of significant achievements by the inte- assembly areas. About 200 construction workers were gration team. evacuated from the Flight Project Center. For testing under Earth’s gravity, the boom and reflec- The activity included the deployment of Urban Search tor are supported by an off-load fixture. The boom is and Rescue, Fire Department and Security personnel spring-loaded and temperature-controlled to manage the for damage assessments. More than 100 people par- speed at which it unfolds. A handful of pins and bolts ticipated in the exercise as first responders, emergency keep the reflector and boom locked into place. Once in managers, executive managers and evaluators. orbit, tiny explosives will cut the bolts in half and push In a memo to personnel, JPL Deputy Director Gene the pins aside, allowing the springs to force the instru- Tattini noted that overall the exercise was a success, ment open. After several manual deployments, the team pointing to orderly building evacuations and the se- did a live test using the pyrotechnics. riousness with which personnel participated. Areas “Not an everyday operation right beside flight hard- identified for improvement included enhancement of ware!” Collins said. the public address system and improvements in devices Tom Wynne / JPL Tom Photo Lab Fortunately, all went according to plan, Aquarius such as hand-held radios and satellite telephones. During the ShakeOut exercise, JPL physician Dr. Robert Estrada attends passed, and the team is looking ahead to the next round to a mock victim as Lab firefighters look on. S D A D E I F I S S A L C T I M B U S D N A D A E R ATJPL’ online s 4 Pasadena, CA 91109. CA Pasadena, Drive, Grove Oak 4800 Laboratory,Propulsion Jet the of Education and Communications of Office the by published is Universe Un i v e r s e universe@jpl.nasa.gov http://dailyplanet David Hinkle David Audrey Steffan Audrey JPL Photo Lab Photo JPL Photography Production Design Whalen Mark Editor B N news E-mail : S E E R I T E R L P J

rief ews

source us s at

L changes on land. on changes moisturesoil and snow as well icebergs,as and ice Arcticsea in changes monitor help also data Scat Quik- storms. ocean strengthof and direction,structurelocation, the of detection early enabling forecastsby marine on impact enormous had measurementseter.have QuikScat scatteromNASA - the carried which spacecraft, Satellite-1 Observing Agency’sExploration Earth Advanced AerospaceJapan the of loss pected unex- the after years two than less launched and developed conceived, was mission predictions.The mental improvedenvironto - contributed researchscience and Earth vanced team. mission QuikScat WilliamT.Awardthe the Pecora to presentationof the with Earth stand under better scientists helping for recognizedbeen has patterns, wind ocean global of exploration scientific the advanced and storms ocean of detection providedearly has that satellite Earth-observing ometer,an QuikScat to award Pecora 1. Jan. tive effec- is prestigioushonors, most technology. of advancement the for association professionalleading a Engineers, Electronicsand Electrical of tute Insti - the of grade Fellow the to elevated been Grouphas Science Earth Solid and Ocean Climate, Yuehthe Simon of remotesensing, radiometer and radar rimetric Yuehfor grade Fellow and co-workers in TravelAccounting, in co-workers and manager my by shown love and support The Arrigo. father,Joe beloved my of recentpassing and illness the during sympathy expressionsof wordsand kind many the for thanks heartfelt family.Missouri my and me to lot a means shared.It you encouragement the and memory her in sent plant the for you Thank Hines. Grandmother my of passing the regardingfriends and colleagues wide NASA- and JPL my by me to shown My family and I want to convey our convey to want I and family My support throughthe blessed was I Since 1999, QuikScat has ad- has QuikScat 1999, Since Scatter Quick JPL-managed The institute’sthe of award,one The pola- to contributions his For etters

Erisa K. Hines K. Erisa

- - P gov/pecora.php. award,visit Interior. the of Department the of secretary under and Survey Geological U.S. the directorof former Pecora, of memory the honor to 1974 in established was awardThe Earth. understanding to application its and remotesensing of field the in contributions outstanding honor Awardsto groupPecora annually and presentindividual Interior the Vectorteam. Ocean Windsscience NASA’sby funded investigators cipal prin- and Physics; Space and spheric Atmo- Colorado’sfor of Laboratory University the Boulder,Colo.; of Corp. TechnologyAerospaceand Ball Center; Flight GoddardSpace fromJPL; nel butions were, how they viewed their viewed they were,how butions contri- their what missions, spective retheir - rolein interviewees’ about questions general include and half a and hour an to hour an take typically interviews The stories. capturetheir to videotaping and audio use and pants partici- with appointments one-on-one up set Productionstaff interviewed. alreadybeen programshave Surveyor materials.” other and film, 8-millimeter photographs, stories, al person- heartfelt anecdotes, human ing interestalso - but stories, engineering and science for “We’reonly not looking education. and communications of ager JPL’sBaggett, Blaine man- executive said time,” first the for system solar exploredthe who women and men the of memories the history capturefor missions. Surveyor Lunar and Mariner Ranger,the on served who people the fromhistories oral collect to begun has (1800) Education and Communications of Office year,the this earlier launch U.S. first the of anniversary 50th the commemorated that activities plorer1 is. that 1970s, and 1960s the in missions on served retireesand who erans—currentstaff sought sought stories veterans’ Lab Marjorie Meinel Marjorie home. my in alive memory his keep to help will that plant lovely the for JPL, you, Thank cherished. be always will and her to greatcomfort Wisconsinwerea mother’smy in to home sent plants and flowers bear.The to easier little a time tough this made Van#6, and Pool Travel Reservations in friends my and with her husband helped to develop to helped husband her with along who VisitingScientist tinguished For more information about the about moreinformation For of Department U.S. the and NASA person- includes team QuikScat The Several veterans of the Ranger and Ranger the of veterans Several we surethat make “Weto want Ex- the of success the on Following vet- good few a for looking is JPL

assings

http://remotesensing.usgs. Cathy Marte and family and Marte Cathy 86, a retireda Dis- 86, , survived by childrenCarolyn,Walter,by survived programs.bursable JPL’sand NASA of support in reim - all engineering, materials and ometry interfer optics, adaptive programsin technology develop and define to architectures,advanced and develop WebbTelescope.Space James the into evolved eventually which of Reflector,some Deployable Largethe for designs createdsystems pair The 1993. and 1982 between VisitingScientists Distinguished as JPL join careerto distinguished a after Arizona of University the left 25. June died concepts, scope space-tele- next-generation many name name rover for contest Disney 91109. CA Pasadena, GroveDrive, Oak 4800 186-131, stop mail JPL Baggett, Blaine to mail send or @jpl.nasa.gov e-mail should stories program. moon the of context the in mission rank nine finalist names via the via names finalist nine rank to opportunity an have will public March,the Next 2009. 25, Jan. by receivedbe must Essays chosen. be rovershould the for name gested sug- their why explaining essays submit will students contest, the year.currentToacademic enter the areenrolledin and school U.S. a attend who old years 18 to 5 2009. in launch for JPL at construction under now is roverthat Laboratory Science Mars the for contest ing nam- a launched has Studios, tion WALL-Emovie Anima- fromPixar Pictures’Motion Studios Disney Besides her husband, Meinel is Meinel husband, her Besides Aden’ssupported to She work Aden, husband, her and Meinel The contest is open to students to open is contest The Waltwith cooperation in NASA, Those interested in sharing their sharing interestedin Those Twittering from Mars from Twittering V http://dailyplanet/onlab/twitter-veronica.php. JPL and Cassini for thefresh mode of communication, which will also be explored B twitter.com.via public the to news mission Phoenix conveys eronica loggersand Web surfers alike by the thousands have taken to McGregor,JPL of manager blaine.a.baggett ’s rover missions. For the full story,full the visit ’sFor missions. rover

- daughter. grand- daughter-in-lawand son, and others. ArchitecturalTourand Service Caltech the for docent long-time a as serving organizations,including service many of volunteer active an was also She 1960s. and 1950s to 1989. to from1970 Lab the at worked He 16. Leflang, Henderson, Nev.Henderson, in wereheld services Memorial David. and Edward,Mary Elaine, Barbara, http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov. efforts. educational WALL-Eof appeal in the use to designed Disney and NASA tween Agreementbe- Act Space a of part is partnership contest naming The contest. naming the in participate to students inviting content online in appear to movie 2008 summer roboticheroand animated its of WALL-E,for name possible the spacecraft. the on signaturea place to opportunity an have will winner grand-prize The JPL. to trip a including says, es- winning submitting students prize. a win or contest the enter to eligible arenot each of household same the in living those and/or members family immediate their and employees co-sponsors, April. in rovername winning the nounce an- will process.NASA selection the during consider to judges for input additional as Internet She is survived by her husband her by survived is She the during JPL at worked Leflang Former JPL employee JPL Former Retiree ’s For more information, visit moreinformation, For it make will Disney said NASA to provideprizes will Disney areevent Caltech and JPL Since Media Ralph West, Ralph 82, died Sept. 20. Sept. died 82, Relations and public outreachpublic and ffice, Office, 81, died Sept. died 81, Maribelle

Photo by Office of Communications and Education