Phoenix Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) Science


Phoenix Mars Lander, set for launch in 2007.

Placing Things In Context

One of the most important questions to be asked about a spacecraft that has landed on another planet is, "Where is it?" Knowing where it landed tells whether the site is exotic or unique or has much in common with the rest of the planet. For example, how much can be said about the the entire northern plains of Mars based upon the results to be provided by the Phoenix Mars Lander? Read More...


Science with MARDI

The way a surface looks depends on the strength of the materials, the strength of the processes that are eroding it, and how long these processes have had to work. Descent images from MARDI will bridge the gap between what can be seen and learned about the northern plains surface from orbiter cameras--such as the Mars Global Surveyor MOC and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE--and the cameras onboard the lander. Pictures from Antarctica, as shown on the left, help illustrate descent imaging science. Read More, and see the Antarctica descent pictures...


Artwork Credit: NASA/JPL/Corby Waste, photos: NASA/JPL/MSSS.



©2005 Malin Space Science Systems, Inc.