Phoenix Lander to Make Contact with Martian Soil Sunday [News]
Friday, May 23, 2008 - 17:21
in Astronomy & Space
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is scheduled to land near the Red Planet's north pole just before 5 P.M. Pacific time (8 P.M. Eastern) on Sunday. The agency said that Phoenix is on course to touch down within eight miles (13 kilometers) of the center of its elliptical landing site, "Green Valley," located at 68 degrees north latitude and 233 degrees east longitude, where it will dig into a layer of rock-solid ice thought to lie near the surface. The vehicle is slated for a three-month tour to study the history of water on Mars. [More]