Mars Phoenix Lander

The Mars Phoenix lander touched down on Mars's north pole on May 25, 2008 and sent back data concerning the composition of Martian soil until it fell quiet in early November. The lander is believed to have died in the advancing Martian winter and will no longer be operational. During its mission, the lander discovered that a layer of ice existed below the surface of the planet's north pole.¹

Fast Facts

1. Touched down Sunday May 25, 2008¹
2. NASA lost contact with lander in early November 2008¹
3. Lander was only supposed to be operational for three months¹
4. Mission extended twice¹
5. Only took seven minutes to land on Mars
6. 55% of Mars missions have failed
7. Cost of mission: $420-million
8. Took 15 years to develop

What the Phoenix Found

The lander analyzed soil samples from shortly after its landing in May 2008 until October. The lander discovered a layer of ice beneath the Martian surface and also discovered carbonates and clays in the soil, suggesting that water had once pooled on the surface. The lander was not designed to look specifically for signs of life, but for the necessary precursors which could support life.

NASA's Seven Minutes of Terror

About 14 minutes before the Mars Phoenix Lander touches down on the red planet, the vehicle separates itself from the cruise stage.

When this happens, the communication with the vehicle is lost.

A parachute on the vehicle opened up to slow it down. Then it went on a three minute glide to the surface located 70 miles below.

It took approximately seven minutes between the lander hitting Mars's atmosphere and the landing.

The Phoenix hit the atmosphere at 13,000 miles per hour and, consequently, all the on board computers worked overtime to land the spacecraft safely. Mars exploration boffins call this short, critical period of time as the "seven minutes of terror".

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