Mars group > Research > Missions > Phoenix
Phoenix Mars Lander mission
The Phoenix Mars Lander is designed to conduct investigations of ice and soil in the Martian arctic. The two overall objectives of the mission are:
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To study the history of water by examining water ice below the Martian surface
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To determine if the Martian arctic soil could support life
Because of its thin atmosphere and hence very low surface pressure, liquid water can not exist on the surface of Mars at present.
In 2002 investigations by the orbiter Mars Odyssey revealed a considerable amount of subsurface water ice in the northern artic plains. This is where Phoenix is going to land.
The lander is equipped with a robotic arm for digging up ice-soil samples and delivering them to the science instruments on the lander deck for analysis.
Magnetic properties experiments on Phoenix
The Mars group has two magnetic experiments on Phoenix:
Participation in the Phoenix Mission
Here you can read about our contributions to the Phoenix mission
NASA Mars Exploration project
The Phoenix Mars mission is the first of NASAs ‘scout missions’, which are small and low cost missions. The scout program, and hence the Phoenix mission, is part of the NASA Mars Exploration project. This project has the following long term goals:
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Determining whether life ever arose on Mars
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Characterize the climate of Mars
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Characterize the geology of Mars
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Prepare for human exploration
Meet the Danish Phoenix Mars Lander team.