EXPLORER ISLAND:  A tense, excited group watched and cheered the NASA Phoenix Mars lander touchdown in Second Life.  The region held 87 people at touchdown with more cycling in as others left.

The area on Explorer Island had been transformed into the Mars surface for residents.  A timeline and detailed Phoenix Mars lander was created and used to explain the progression of the real lander as it approached Mars.  A large screen TV displayed feed direct from NASA’s mission control room. Planets and photos of the Mars surface surrounded guests.  NASA was able to see the SL supporters as well.

Lag increased as the crowd grew and so a textual description of the progress of the lander kept the crowd informed.  It also added greatly to the excitement of those in attendance.

Jet Burns (in real life Charles White of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory working with multi-mission support, planning and flight teams) served as host and moderator of the day’s events.  Burns was assisted by Devery Barrymore (chief knowledge architect at the Jet Propulsion Lab) and Helion Enzo (also with the Jet Propulsion Lab).

The Phoenix signal stayed strong all through the entry process, even when the shield was exposed to peak heating.  Cries of “omg omg omg omg” were heard as the parachute was deployed and opened.  Lander separation, descent thrusters and legs deployed all went smoothly till the room burst out in applause at touchdown.

QuantumParadox Student said “This is a great day to be an American” while Buckaroo Mu corrected “Quantum, this is a great day to be a Human.”  “Let it be as successful as the other NASA rovers,” Harry Noonan said.  Barrymore added “That, my friends, is why they call it the 7 minutes of terror!”

Burns told the crowd, “One small step for a robot, one GIANT leap for Avatars.  This marks the first mission from LAUNCH to LANDING that was hosted on Second Life!”

The Phoenix launched on August 4, 2007.  Its mission is to take samples of ice and minerals from beneath the surface of Mars and determine if the planet could sustain life.

Water is known to exist on Mars both as vapor in the atmosphere and as ice below the surface.  No water is currently on the planet’s surface.  However, canyons and shallow lakes have been seen on Mars, suggesting that water may have flowed there billions of years ago.

Some scientists believe that life may be found in the frozen samples retrieved by the Phoenix Mars lander.  These could be bacterial spores which have been dormant but could reactivate when conditions change.