Cherie Achilles, who graduated Saturday from the University of Arizona, familiarizes herself with a program she will use to process and analyze photos taken by the Mars lander's camera. She and other team members will control the Mars mission from the UA's Science Operations Center.

Greg Bryan / Arizona Daily Star

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Though the University of Arizona scientists and engineers leading the Phoenix Mars Lander mission are millions of miles from the spacecraft, they might as well be stepping onto the rust-colored planet themselves.

Much like the lander, which officials hope will explore new territory and expand understanding of Mars, the UA-led team is breaking new ground in space exploration, becoming the first university to run a mission's day-to-day scientific research.

From a nondescript adobe-and-brick building just off the UA's main campus, researchers and students with the UA will call the mission's shots daily, telling the lander what to do and analyzing the results as it digs into Mars' northern polar region in search of signs of water.

Scientists and engineers from around the world will flock to the UA to be a part of the research as Tucson — as opposed to Houston or Pasadena, Calif. — takes NASA's center stage.

It's a position team members working on the mission say is both an honor and an opportunity. One that, if the mission goes as planned, could serve as a model for increasing university and student involvement in future space missions.

"We're breaking new territory," said Chris Shinohara, director of the mission's Science Operations Center. "As the Phoenix team, we're able to show that we're capable of doing this research at the University of Arizona."

Student involvement

After teams from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena ensure that the lander has made it safely to Mars, Cherie Achilles will be one of the first people to see images beamed back.

The 22-year-old works on the team running the lander's high-resolution camera that is scheduled to take pictures of the craft after it lands. The first images will check to make sure Phoenix's solar panels have unfurled.

Achilles, who graduated Saturday with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology, is one of dozens of students in key roles for the mission.

The students, many of whom started working on the mission as freshmen and sophomores, work alongside veteran space explorers, participating fully in the mission's research and planning.

The students are a unique asset, bringing energy and talent that mission scientists and engineers can encourage and feed off of, said Shinohara. At the same time, they provide extra brainpower and bodies when problems arise.

It's a situation Achilles never imagined she'd find herself in.

Three years ago, she received a NASA internship that paired her with the mission. When she started, the main camera for Phoenix wasn't completed and the various components were still being tested.

Now, with the lander a week away from touching down, Achilles is getting ready to help analyze the first images sent back.

Her team's work will be crucial as the mission unfolds, with the camera helping researchers determine where to dig and conduct experiments.

"It's awesome to see all the different pieces come together," Achilles said. "I really got into the mission, and as I've worked here, I've grown to love it."

Got what it takes

While NASA officials were initially leery about handing over such a large part of the mission to the UA, science team members said they've been able to calm any doubts about the university's ability to run the mission.

Because so much of the mission occurs away from NASA control rooms, the UA's scientific team had to work hard to show they were up to the challenge, Shinohara said.

"People were very skeptical of whether we could pull it off," he said.

The science operations are the most complex phase of the mission, which is why NASA officials weren't sure about holding the mission away from typical control centers, said David Spencer, NASA's deputy project manager for the Mars lander mission.

"It's a very intensive phase of the mission, and it operates under very tight time constraints," he said.

But the team led by the UA has proved itself to be capable and ready for whatever the mission throws at them.

"We've come a long way, and I think that everyone who has been involved is confident that we are ready to go," Spencer said. "They've been a top-notch crew for us."

If the mission is successful, the joint venture between the UA and NASA could pave the way for future projects where universities conduct a majority of the scientific research on missions, Shinohara said.

Using UA experts, as well as partnering with several researchers from other universities, allows the mission to focus on the science and sharing that information with the world.

Just having the ability to lead the mission speaks volumes about the UA's prominent role in Mars exploration, Achilles said.

By conducting the daily research from Tucson, the UA is making a case for a new approach to research that puts universities at the forefront of future exploration, said Rick McCloskey, who manages the science center's test facility.

"Everybody wants to control the mission, but because of what we've done so far, we've not only opened the door, but really kicked it off the hinges," he said.