After spending the better part of a year traveling toward Mars, the Phoenix has landed on the surface. First images arrived shortly after touchdown. Some interesting numbers to ponder:
- 422,000,000 (miles traveled to reach Martian surface)
- 12,500 (initial entry speed in miles per hour)
- 3200 (distance in feet from Martian surface when the parachute separates)
- 2600 (heat shield temperature in degrees Fahrenheit)
- 900 (entry speed in mph after Martian atmosphere slows the craft)
- 250 (entry speed in mph after the parachute deploys)
- 125 (speed of Phoenix, in mph, when the parachute separates)
- 15.3 (number of minutes for signal from Mars to reach the Earth - on 25 May 2008)
- 7 (number of minutes for entire Entry Descent Landing - EDL)
- 0.5 (thickness of heat shield in inches of 'cork')
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