Science Channel: Live Phoenix Mars Mission Coverage

ETA:  Phoenix touchdown!   (We anxiously await the deployment of the solar panels once the dust settles.)

ETA:  First images, courtesy Jet Propulsion Lab/NASA/Univ. of Arizona - the solar array deploys.

ETA (Monday, May 26):  excellent in-depth article here in the SF Chronicle about the mission by David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor - accompanied by an extremely cool graphic.

This whole venture is so remarkably successful that Ed Weiler, NASA’s science chief, reminded visiting reporters that to land a spacecraft within 20 kilometers of its planned target after a 422 million-mile trip represents an accuracy of one part in 10 million - possibly an achievement no other spacecraft has equaled…..The spacecraft landed facing east and west so its solar panels can capture all the sunlight they need every Martian day for the next three months of the mission. The panels are tipped less than a quarter of a degree - virtually straight up.

Sunday/3:30p.m. PT

Tonight, the Phoenix Mars Mission will attempt a successful landing in the planet’s polar region.  Live coverage begins on Discovery’s Science Channel at 4p.m./PT.    (And now that Comcast recently added more HD Channels, we’ll be watching in HD.  Yesssss!)  Godspeed.

(CNN is covering now.  The anchor called one of the scientists the "principles investigator."  lol!)

Science Channel’s coverage should be excellent - slick production values coupled with anchors installed at the Jet Propulsion Lab and the University of Arizona (the first public university to lead a mission to Mars), and live images from mission control, of course.  Check it out!

NASA TV Live is here.

ETA:  the JPL server is not responding at the moment.  It’s perhaps being overwhelmed by space enthusiasts.

ETA:  we have parachute deployment!  (everyone is smiling in mission control so far…)

ETA:  cheers!!  on final descent.  parachute cut!

ETA: touchdown! 

ETA:  Scientists are besides themselve w/ joy.  A flawless performance so far.

Cool live blogging on Discovery.com click here!  Here’s one post, just minutes ago -

Ready for action

Flight controllers, wearing matching blue polo shirts, are watching radio signals from Phoenix as it prepares to begin its transition from spacecraft to lander. The star-tracker was turned off and the probe will soon jettison its cruise stage. This will put Phoenix on battery power.

A neat vid from Science Channel: