- We had a vision back
in February of 2002.
Let's follow up on this
great new discovery
by the Odyssey Orbiter
that there's ice in
the polar regions.
But following up, the
quickest we can do it
is six-and-a-half years.
That's a long wait.
You see, my hair's gone gray,
I'm turning into an old
man while I'm waiting
for this mission to happen.
So now it's coming up,
you know, I'm ready and
it's been hard to wait so long.
(people laughing)
There's a lot of passion
that goes into this mission.
We had a kind of a
debriefing last night
at the end of our training
period, our dress rehearsal,
and I was telling people,
this is a once in your
life adventure we're on and
accept that experience with
your full heart because
it's not gonna happen again.
We only land on Mars once and
that is a thrilling adventure.
Get involved and just
feel every moment of it
'cause don't sit in the back
and pretend it's not happening
or that it's just another test.
This is real.
- Welcome to NASA's jet
propulsion laboratory
in Pasadena, California and
we're about 77 hours, right now,
from that sequence known as EDL.
- We're having a press
conference tomorrow
to talk about the health
of the spacecraft.
- As we sit here today,
it's really very humbling,
what we've gone through
the past five years.
- Hopefully the whole
world is watching with us
'cause this is really
a mission about the,
the world community
going to Mars,
that's the way I look at it.
- Are we going to see
the northern plains
in those first pictures
or are we gonna be
just seeing solar panels?
- Today, we are one
day away from the entry
into the Martian atmosphere
and the descent and landing
at the north polar
region of Mars.
- If we land successfully
and if we're able
to do the science
that we've designed
into this mission,
I have every expectation
that we'll be able
to rewrite the textbooks.
- Go where there is no path
and leave a trail
for others to follow.
That's what Phoenix
is doing tomorrow.
- It doesn't get any
more exciting than this.
- Welcome to NASA's jet
propulsion laboratory
in Pasadena, California and
thank you for joining us
for today's final
pre-landing briefing
for the Phoenix Mission to Mars.
I'm Veronica McGregor.
- The sky is clear, we've
been watching the weather.
Everything is set for us.
Have a sunny day.
The rest of the day is
just watching and waiting.
- Atmospheric entry on my mark.
(dramatic music)
Five, four, three, two, one.
Mark.
Expected peak heating rate
in one and 40 seconds.
Standing by for a
possible plasma blackout.
- For those in another
room, the question was
is what's gonna happen
to the lander, I guess,
after the mission's
over and whether
wind and other things
might move it around.
So it takes us eight hours to
get up to 12,700 miles an hour
and then we have seven minutes
to take that velocity
down to zero.
- You'll see him scream and
you'll probably see me scream
and then I'll run off
and get some champagne.
- [Man] At this point in time,
Phoenix goes normally
through peak heating.
We still have a
signal via Odyssey,
standing by for reacquisition
via direct to Earth.
- There's no second chance.
There's no, you know, we're not
going into orbit or anything,
we're going straight in and
that's our fate.
- Stop Odyssey canister
data and switch to 32K
in 10 seconds.
Standing by for expected
parachute deployment.
(crowd applauding)
Parachute deployment
trigger detected.
Heat shield trigger detected.
Ground level velocity
90 meters per second.
(clapping)
Land leg deployment
trigger detected.
Ground level velocity
60 meters per second.
Standing by for
altitude convergence.
Radar reliable.
(clapping)
Altitude 2,000 meters.
Altitude convergence detected.
Altitude 1,800 meters.
1,700 meters.
1,600 meters.
Standing by for
landing separation,
altitude 1100 meters.
Altitude 1,000 meters.
(whooshing)
Separation detected.
We are verifying the signal.
Gravity turn detected.
(upbeat music)
(cheering)
Altitude 600 meters, 500 meters.
400 meters.
250 meters.
150 meters.
100 meters.
80 meters.
60 meters.
- Come on!
- Constant velocity
phase detected,
altitude 40 meters.
30 meters.
20 meters.
15 meters, standing
by for touchdown.
Touchdown signal detected.
(clapping and cheering)
We landed it.
Landing sequence initiated.
Phoenix has landed!
Phoenix has landed!
Welcome to the northern
plains of Mars!
