Discovery News: Space Diary

A World A'Twitter

Curious what’s happening on Mars? No need to comb the net looking for news. NASA’s newest robot probe will phone you with its updates.

Phoenix, which is busily analyzing ice and soil samples from Mars’ northern polar cap, is using the social networking site Twitter to text-message the science-minded about its progress. Apparently, more than 27,000 folks are following Phoenix’s words, which can flash across your cell phone, pop up in your Instant Messaging program or passively wait to be read on its Twitter homepage.

Hungry for a direct outreach to the public, NASA has given more than a dozen machines a virtual life. Among Phoenix’s colleagues on Twitter are LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) which hasn’t even left the ground yet, the Hubble Space Telescope, the new gamma ray observatory GLAST and the space shuttles Atlantis , Discovery and Endeavour. Even space shuttle missions are incarnating.

It’s not just the ‘droids who are coming into their ‘lectronic lives. Apparently blogs are Twitter-fodder too so I took the plunge and signed up Free Space. At least I think I did. I’m waiting for my cell phone to ring to let me know if I’ve posted or not.

Phoenix, Descending

Phoenix's arrival at Mars did not go unnoticed... this image of its parachute descent toward the northern arctic region was captured by a sister spacecraft, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Welcome to Mars

A view from Phoenix

Good night, Mars

This time of year, the sun never sets on the northern polar region of Mars. But it does here, so I'll leave you with this. (Can't wait for the color views!)

Meanwhile, Back on Earth

Was just about to post these when the Phoenix pcts started coming in ... so back on Earth, here's what the mood was like in the control room when folks learned the spacecraft had landed:

What's That??

A white object sticking up in the distance is sparking discussions ..

New View of Mars, lay of the land

Imaging teams appear to already be stitching together the individual snapshots

New View of Mars, footpad 2

New View of Mars, landscape

New View of Mars, solar array