Operational Costs – Running a traditional office includes ongoing costs like property maintenance, utility bills, and often even homeowner association (HOA) fees or building costs that can inflate operational expenses. In London, cats became even more indifferent to their owners after learning that a cat had made it Mars before humans. Steve gazes out at the ruddy landscape of Mars while holding his packet of asparagus seeds. He brought a variety of seeds to Mars just in case Phoenix discovered that Martian soil could indeed support life. Since turnip can cause intestinal gas for Steve, he was quite relieved to find a packet of asparagus seeds in his collection. MECA also found the sample to be fairly alkaline, with a pH of 8 or 9. Many vegetables, such as asparagus and turnips, actually thrive at such a pH. The sample was delivered to the lander’s wet chemistry laboratory in the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument. The team tried two methods to pick up and deliver a sample of icy soil to a laboratory oven of the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA).

Last month a short circuit was discovered in the Phoenix Mars Lander’s Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA). Experiments aboard the Phoenix lander suggest that the chemistry of Martian soil is a close analog to surface soils found in the upper dry valleys in Antarctica. Steve was able to access the TEGA instrument by removing a few panels from inside the Phoenix Lander. The PIT contains a full-scale working model of Phoenix that sits on simulated Martian landscape, complete with red rocks surrounding the lander. Steve ventured nearly 1,000 feet from the lander before taking a brief cat nap. Seen here prior to leaving on his trip to Mars, Steve the Cat debates the advantages of conventional litter scoop design with project scientists and engineers in the Payload Interoperability Testbed. Prior to leaving on his trip to Mars, Steve sent many hours in the Payload Interoperability Testbed (PIT) testing different scoop designs.

Bill Atkinson was inspired to create HyperCard through an LSD trip. Wearing a special dander control suit, Steve the Cat performs a delicate repair of the TEGA instrument from within the Phoenix lander on the surface of Mars. Within 5 minutes he had a long, very satisfying stretch before heading back toward the lander for a salmon flavored treat and his next sleep period. Australian cats were seen in the streets tossing red “Martian Mice” back and forth to each other. Heir­looms that work as well today as they did “way back when” include quilts (with their surprisingly contemporary geometric shapes and colors), heavy cutwork table runners, pewter candlesticks, copper pots, and real wood furniture, from budget-friendly pine and oak to elegant maple and cherry. “Living in such tight quarters can be a real challenge at times”, quipped Steve as he radioed Earth with his experiment proposal. His proposal was quickly approved. Future missions to the ice giants might explore those worlds using an approach similar to Cassini’s mission.

The PSIP team from Dallas Texas, Tony (foreground) and Matt, confer with Steve about the upcoming ice sample delivery to TEGA. Steve replaced the faulty wire, reassembled TEGA and declared the instrument fully operational. Scientists are planning to use the rasp on the Robotic Arm scoop in order to obtain a clean sample for TEGA. It’s starting to look like Steve the Cat will once again be called upon to use his feline skills, this time to clean out the scoop. A team of engineers and scientists concluded that another short circuit could possibly occur, so Steve the Cat was called upon to help. Following months of preparation and special training, teachers and students spend an entire week at the Science Operations Center in Tucson, AZ during landed operations to help investigate the surface of Mars. Scientists and engineers on NASA’s Phoenix Mars Mission spent the weekend examining how the icy soil on Mars interacts with the scoop on the lander’s robotic arm, while trying different techniques to deliver a sample to one of the instruments. The Phoenix Student Interns Program (PSIP) allows selected teachers and their chosen students from around the country to work with scientists to prepare for surface operations on Mars and analyze data during the mission.