Phoenix is the first science driven mission under NASA's Mars Scout program. The Phoenix lander is designed to examine the site for potential habitats for water ice and to look for possible indicators of life, past or present.

The goals of the missions are to

• Determine whether life ever arose on Mars
• Characterize the climate of Mars
• Characterize the geology of Mars
• Prepare for human exploration

The Phoenix mission lifted-off August 4, 2007 on a 9-month journey to the red planet. In May 2008, it will land in the northern Vastitas Borealis region of the planet.

The mission will operate three months from late spring to mid-summer 2008, or until there is inadequate solar power due to the onset of Martian winter.

• Phoenix Mission
• Mission Overview
• Meteorological Station
• Earth/Mars Comparison
• Gallery