This image shows the latest estimate, marked by a green crosshair, of the
location of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. Radio communications between
Phoenix and spacecraft flying overhead have allowed engineers to narrow
the lander's location to an area about 300 meters (984) long by 100 meters
(328 feet) across, or about three football fields long and one football
field wide.
During landing, Phoenix traveled across the field of view shown here from
the upper left to the lower right. The area outlined in blue represents
the area where Phoenix was predicted to land before arriving on Mars.
During Phoenix's descent through the Martian atmosphere to the surface of
the Red Planet, continuous measurements of the distance the spacecraft
traveled enabled engineers to narrow its location further to the circular
area outlined in red.
Using radio signals to home in on Phoenix's final location is sort of like
trying to find a kitten by listening to the sound of its meows. As NASA's
Odyssey spacecraft passes overhead, it receives radio transmissions from
the lander. When Odyssey passes overhead again along a slightly different
path, it receives new radio signals. With each successive pass, it is able
to "fix" the location of Phoenix a little more precisely.
Meanwhile, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken actual images of
the spacecraft on the surface, enabling scientists to match the lander's
location to geologic features seen from orbit.
The large crater to the right is "Heimdall crater," the slopes of which
are visible in images of the parachute that lowered Phoenix to the
surface, taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment
instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The map shown here is made
up of topography data taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. It shows
exaggerated differences in the height of the terrain.
The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf
of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin
Space Systems, Denver.