Does Phoenix have a microphone to “hear” the sounds of Mars?
Phoenix, like the 1999 Polar Lander, originally had a microphone to hear the sounds of the descent to Mars. It was part of the MARDI system which was turned off to due the small risk that it could trip a critical landing system. So far, no spacecraft has successfully captured the sounds of Mars. However, the European Space Agency’s orbiter Mars Express captured the sounds of Phoenix’s descent. You can check it out at: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEMAWQ1YUFF_1.html. If the mission timeline permits, it is a possibility that the microphone will be activated , so stay tuned!
