Key Dates:
- 08.04.07: Launched
- 05.25.08: Landed
- 05.26.08 - 10.17.08: Surface Operations (Already extended.)
- Status: On Site
Fast Facts:
Phoenix is truly a mission risen from the ashes. The spacecraft has lived in a clean room since its launch was scrubbed due to the loss of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999.Phoenix was the first to explore the surface of a polar region on Mars, areas rich in water-ice.
It is the first mission in NASA's Mars Scout program.
Phoenix Mission Information:
Phoenix landed in an ice-rich region on Mars' north pole. The lander uses a robotic arm to dig into the arctic terrain in search of clues to the geologic history of water on Mars. It is also searching for evidence of possible habitable zones that could support microbial life."Even though the northern plains are thought to be too cold now for water to exist as a liquid, periodic variations in the martian orbit allow a warmer climate to develop every 50,000 years," explains Mr. Peter H. Smith, the mission's principal investigator. "During these periods the ice can melt, dormant organisms could come back to life, (if there are indeed any), and evolution can proceed. Our mission will verify whether the northern plains are indeed a last viable habitat on Mars."
