NASA 美国宇航局的每日一图
发布: 2009-1-12 15:16 | 作者: webmaster | 来源: 本站原创 | 查看: 247次
NASA 美国宇航局的每日一图
2008 May 27
(点击看大图)
火星上的凤凰号
影像版权: Phoenix, HiRISE, NASA, JPL-Caltech, Univ. Arizona
说明: 凤凰号登陆艇的支架大小大约与餐盘相当。右边影像是三支支架的其中之一，五月25日成功地软着陆之后，支架也覆盖上一层火星的土壤。令人惊讶地，左边的影像是宇宙飞船下降过程的影像，是由火星探堪号上的 HiRISE 相机所拍摄，这也是第一次拍摄到宇宙飞船降落在其它行星的影像。这张照片是在火星上空 750 公里处拍摄，可以看到凤凰号悬挂在它展开约10公尺宽的降落伞，背景则是黝黑得多的火星表面。 登陆艇还在它的保护壳层之中。凤凰号紧接着在 12.6 公里的空中张开它的降落伞。利用火箭进一步在登陆前减速，凤凰号现在已经安置在火星的北极圈中，约在北纬 68 度之处。
Phoenix at Mars
Credit: Phoenix, HiRISE, NASA, JPL-Caltech, Univ. Arizona
Explanation: The Phoenix lander's footpads are about the size of a dinner plate. One of three is shown at the right, covered with Martian soil after a successful soft landing on the Red Planet on May 25. Amazingly, the left panel imageis of the spacecraft during its descent phase, captured by the HiRISE camera onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter -- the first image ever of a spacecraft descending to the surface of another planet. Taken from a range of 750 kilometers, the picture shows Phoenix suspended beneath its unfurling, 10 meter-wide parachute, against the much darker Martian surface. The lander is still attached to its protective backshell. Phoenix released its parachute at an altitude of 12.6 kilometers. Using rockets to further reduce its speed for landing, Phoenix now rests in the northern polar region of Mars at about 68 degrees latitude.
