"Phoenix Mars Mission: Ashes To Ice" chronicles the story of the Phoenix Mars Lander, which launched in August 2007 and was scheduled to land on the Martian surface on May 25, 2008. The scientific mission is led by principal investigator Peter H. Smith of the University of Arizona in partnership with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, the Canadian Space Agency and other organizations from around the world.
The program features interviews with scientists who discuss the spacecraft's custom instruments and the intricate preparations that preceded the launch. After touchdown, the lander will collect soil and ice samples to search for trace organics and for evidence of how water has changed the subsurface environment. The scientists hope to determine where the water on Mars went. In chronicling the team's efforts to ensure Phoenix will rise from the ashes and successfully complete its mission, "Phoenix Mars Mission: Ashes To Ice" provides a fascinating account of one of humanity's most exciting and ambitious journeys.
This program originally aired in 2011.
