Phoenix landing: Half degree tilt
I will be posting photos and some of the reactions from the landing here in a little bit, but I wanted to report some important news, courtesy Deborah Bass, deputy project scientist. Phoenix is tilted only a half degree from the horizontal. That means it didn't land on a rock. And it means that the solar arrays should be able to draw plenty of power from the sun.
Later Update: JPL has confirmed that Phoenix landed at a tilt of 0.3 degrees: essentially flat. Phoenix also landed along the correct east-west axis for its solar arrays. That means the thrusters were able to execute the "pirouette." JPL commentator Robert Shotwell just said that the mission now shifts to the the Science Operations Center here in Tucson. "Hopefully they're going to make the best of what we just gave them."
