The Phoenix Mission is set to launch tomorrow. This Mars mission will study soil and ice on Mars, as well as weather patterns.
NASA's page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html
At the Phoenix prelaunch news conference, NASA's Launch Director Chuck Dovale said the launch team is ready to go for Saturday's early morning liftoff. ... The Phoenix Mars lander's assignment is to dig through the Martian soil and ice in the arctic region and use its onboard scientific instruments to analyze the samples it retrieves.
Canada's involvement is through, the CSA, York U, University of Alberta, Dalhousie and others.
From York U: http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/Release.asp?Release=1269
York University leads the Canadian science team responsible for the design and construction of the lander’s sophisticated weather station, which will gather critical data about the weather and climate on Mars. This meteorological information package (MET) will provide a comprehensive picture of Martian weather at the landing site. It was constructed with $37 million in funding from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). ... “Information gathered by our instrumentation on the formation and movement of clouds, fogs, and dust plumes will add valuable new insights into the climate of Mars and the planet’s potential for supporting life,” says lead scientist Jim Whiteway, Associate Professor of Space Engineering at York University.
The MET package consists of temperature sensors, a wind sensor, and a pressure sensor, as well as a sophisticated laser-based light-detecting-and-ranging (lidar) system. The lidar uses laser light pulses to precisely measure distances and diagnose components of the atmosphere, including concentrations of fog, dust, and clouds.
Richard Hornsey, Associate Dean of York’s School of Engineering, says the Phoenix Mission is an exciting combination of space science and space engineering. “It reflects the unique expertise in these fields at York at both the research and undergraduate levels,” he says.
The MET package was developed in partnership with the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, Optech and the Geological Survey of Canada, with international collaboration from The Finnish Meteorological Institute. MDA Space Missions is the prime contractor for the meteorological station, in partnership with Optech, which manufactured the lidar. Aarhus University (Denmark) constructed part of the wind sensor.
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