Phoenix Mars Lander

Overview

The goals of the Phoenix Mars Lander were to study the history of water in the Martian arctic, search for evidence of a habitable zone and assess the biological potential of the ice-soil boundary. Phoenix studied the Martian soil with a chemistry lab, TEGA, a microscope, a conductivity probe and cameras. In August 2008, Phoenix completed its three-month mission studying Martian ice, soil and atmosphere. The lander worked for two additional months before reduced sunlight caused energy to become insufficient to keep the lander functioning.

Key facts

Payload

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Reach

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Speed

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Weight

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IP rating

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Battery

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Power

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Autonomy

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Launch year

2008

Price

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Status

active