The Story 
The Phoenix logo is a composite representing several mission themes. (Image Credit: NASA/UA/Isabelle Tremblay, CSA)
The phoenix, a fabulous mythical bird the size of an eagle, symbolizes rebirth in many ancient cultures. According to the ancient Greeks, the bird lives in Arabia, nearby a cool well and sings a beautiful morning song. The phoenix lives 500 years or longer with only one phoenix existing at a time. When the bird's death approaches, it bursts into flames, and a new bird springs from the consumed pyre. 
Artist Impression of the Mars Polar Lander, which crash landed near Mars' south pole. (Image Credit: NASA/JPL)
Artist Impression of the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, which was almost completed, but never sent to Mars. (Image Credit: NASA/JPL)
The Phoenix Mission uses the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, built in 2000, but later administratively mothballed. The '01 lander is undergoing modifications to improve the spacecraft's robustness and safety during entry, descent, and landing. Phoenix recovers two instruments delivered for the '01 lander that have been in protected storage: the MARDI and the MECA. Also, the RA has been modified from the '01 lander version.Printable Version
|
DOWNLOAD MORE INFO |
The Phoenix Mission is led by Principal Investigator Peter H. Smith of The University of Arizona, supported by a science team of CO-Is,
with project management at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and development partnership with Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
International contributions are provided by the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus Denmark; the Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Additional information on Phoenix is online at here and here.
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Additional information on NASA's Mars program is online at here.
Some pages may require Flash or Quicktime Players.
In remembrance of Diane Michelangeli