NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander will reach Mars this evening with no further adjustments to its flight path. The first possible time for confirmation that Phoenix has landed will be at 7:53 p.m. Eastern Time today.

Here is the “Countdown to Mars Touchdown” Podcast

Here are some snippets from a press release from NASA:

Entry, descent and landing begins at 4:46 p.m. PDT on May 25, when the flight team listens for radio signals indicating that Phoenix has entered the top of the Martian atmosphere. The spacecraft must perform a series of challenging transformations and activities during the seven minutes after it enters the atmosphere to slow it from 12,000 mph to 5 mph and a soft touchdown. The Phoenix team will be watching for radio signals confirming the landing at 4:53 p.m. More than half of previous international attempts to land on Mars have been unsuccessful. For a detailed schedule and landing timeline, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix

On landing day, May 25, live landing commentary will air on NASA TV. A telecast of mission control — without roll-in videos and interviews — will run on NASA TV’s Media Channel beginning at 3 p.m. Another telecast with commentary, interviews and videos will begin at 3:30 p.m. on NASA TV’s Public Channel.

For NASA TV streaming video, schedules, and downlink information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Here is a video on Phoenix Mars Lander:
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NASA Announcement: It has discover an object in our Galaxy astronomers have been hunting for more than 50 years.

From NASA Offical Website http://www.nasa.gov:

A video file about the discovery will air on NASA Television on May 14. NASA TV is carried on an MPEG-2 digital signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. NASA TV is available in Alaska and Hawaii on AMC-7 at 137 degrees west longitude, transponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, horizontal polarization.

Talking about the galaxy, I wonder if one can use the Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope to see that object. Any idea?

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