New Evidence Points to Meteor Strike and Expolsion on Phoenix Lander at Mars North Pole

May 26, 2010 - PRLog -- May 26, 2010  Pittsburgh, PA    The Phoenix Mars Lander was launched in August 2007 and landed successfully in the Martian North Pole Region on May 25, 2008.  Its Mission was to gather climate data, check for presence of water/ice, and to enable researchers to gather additional data about the planet's weather patterns, in general.  The Phoenix Probe was not designed to withstand the harsh Martian Winters where wind speeds can exceed 200 miles per hour and temperatures dip to well below -180 degrees F.

Working with two images of the Phoenix Mars lander taken by the Odyssey Space Probe during more than 160 flyovers, a team of independent researchers have found strong photographic evidence that something went drastically wrong on Mars resulting in the total destruction of the Phoenix Lander.  In 2008 and 2010 Odyssey took two photographs which NASA has posted on the Phoenix Mission website which show (in 2008) a functioning lander and compare this with the final photo taken May 18, 2010.  The most recent photograph shows only what NASA Program Managers are terming  as 'ice damage' taken by Odyssey's HIRES camera resulting in over-pixelization of the photograph.  Despite the extremely poor image quality produced by Odyssey the independent researches have discovered some astonishing evidence.

A total of two photographs were analyzed using NASA's 2008 and 2010 images to establish geometric and structural characteristics of both Phoenix and its landing site at the different time windows.   A total of twenty additional photographic panels were produced from the original NASA data, with these enabling detailed spectrogram and other analysis employing a proprietary process not in the public domain.  Studies and comparative analysis revealed that in 2008 Phoenix was positioned over a small grade of martian soil, about twenty four inches higher than two of its landing gear legs and that Phoenix was 'straddling' this land feature.  Positioning resulted in Phoenix having a standing position at about 8 degrees from the horizontal plane and tilting slightly to the North East.  NASA's 2008 photos clearly show Phoenix' reflective shielding and round-shaped solar panel assemblies deployed.   And there is a noticeable 'white spot' in the very center of Phoenix' base platform expressing an albedo, or light reflectance factor that is totally inconsistent with its surroundings.  This was confirmed with comparison to self-photos produced by Phoenix and shown on the Phoenix Mission home page.  Jokingly, one of the team researchers conjectured, "Wouldn't it be something if Odyssey actually caught the meteor strike, and that's what we see here?"

Striking differences were found when scientists compared the initial 2008 photo with the most recent photo taken in 2010.

The 2008 lander image shows two relatively small blue spots on either side of the lander corresponding to the spacecraft's clean circular solar panels with high albedo (white reflection) in the center area, which the independent researchers have identified as being a test device resting on the base platform, a gas-operated oven designed to automatically test soil and water samples.  The case of the test oven reflects a signature identical with stainless steel with trace boron elements.

Two particular images derived by examining the latest NASA 2010 photo shows a deep indentation beneath where Phoenix' elevated base platform used to stand.  This area which may be the result of impact/explosion by a meteor, for example, is approximately four feet deep.  The Northeast region of the indentation is slightly deeper than the frontal area where the platform used to stand, indicating possible trajectory of the suspected meteor's path.  Slightly behind and to the back right of the indentation some debris is observed, as well as a considerable amount of metal fragments actually down inside the indentation, along with at least one large object confirmed only 'to be some kind of rock', one of the researchers stated.  Other debris has been identified near the site, including the retractable arm used to gather soil samples, one apparently intact solar panel assembly, which is shown to be lying in front of the impact area shown in the photograph at the 5-O'clock position, and other parts, perhaps from the other instruments on board such as a chromatograph and other analytical instruments.

Based on analysis of the photographs the researcher have concluded two possible events leading to Phoenix' demise.  The first is impact by a base-ball sized object, probably a small meteor.  Secondly, that the on-board test oven, along with lithium-manganese dioxide batteries, were compromised as a result of subjection to extreme low temperatures.  In either of the instances above without question an explosion occurred resulting in obliteration of the Phoenix Lander and that a small indentation is present where Phoenix used to be positioned.  The team plans to undertake

The teams Principal Investigator, Dr. Joseph A. Resnick said, "These preliminary findings will go a long way in helping to provide answers to questions as to what may have happened on Mars with Phoenix.  And we have provided preliminary copies of our photographic results to NASA's Mission Directorate and to my contacts at NASA HQ in Washington, D.C.  We are glad to do this both as Citizens and as fellow 'explorers."  Resnick continued, "I'm sure that Lockheed-Martin Corporation or companies like Bigelow Aerospace will be very interested in learning about our findings' as there was some talk and finger-pointing when Phoenix first went 'black'.  Stewart, the Chief Optical Physicist said, "We could be of significant value to Lockheed in demonstrating that the spacecraft they built under contract had not failed, rather what happened was probably and Act of God".  Dr. Archer said, "I concur with what my Colleagues have said.  And as a PaleoAstrobiologist I can state, without a doubt, based on this evidence...there is most definitely an impact crater where Phoenix used to stand."

The team is led by former NASA Scholar/Scientist Dr. Joseph A. Resnick, Inventor of Stealth Radex Technology.  Resnick functions as Chief Scientist for NxGenUSA Corporation of Pittsburgh, PA. and Principal Investigator for the Europa-Bio Project.  Dr. Richard Archer, CEO of DarkSolar Corporation of Denver, CO is an Astrobiologist, a former US Naval Officer and functioned as an Environmental Modeling Scientist for NOAA at USC where he developed the S’“O Algorithm enabling study of climatic variations in sediments and strata.  Dr. Archer functioned as Chief Astrobiologist for the Europa-Bio Project.  The third team member, Mr. Ron Stewart, Inventor of the proprietary photographic analysis programs used to generate comparison data, is an expert in sonar radiometry, digital imaging technology and functioned as team’s Chief Optical Physicist and Radiometric Analyst.  The process used to analyze the raw NASA photographs, invented by Stewart, enables true color, spatial relation and fractal enhancement amplification and pixel recognition based on a proprietary process that identifies elements and compounds contained in the photograph.  Elements contained in any photograph, radiograph, aperture radar signal, etc., may be analyzed using this technology.

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For Additional Information visit
http://lifeoneuropa.weebly.com/ or Contact:

Dr. Joseph A. Resnick
724-224-2606
Email: JResnick@DarkSolar.Net

Mr. Ronald Stewart
830-386-9964
Email:RonStewart@DarkSolar.Net

Dr. Richard Archer
Email:RArcher@DarkSolar.Net

All Photographs Copyright, 2010, R.Stewart, J.Resnick, R. Archer, DarkSolar Corporation, NxGenUSA Corporation, All Rights Reserved under UCC 1-207, Inclusive, Globally and Universally

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NxGenUSA Corporation and DarkSolar Corporation are Privately held entities performing contract R&D on specialized projects identified by selected clients. DarkSolar Corporation invites any companies, agencies, or individuals requiring specialized expertise in photo and electronic image analysis to contact Dr. Resnick at JResnick@DarkSolar.Net