Thursday, September 18, 2008

Phoenix Mars Extended Again

The highly successful mission of the Phoenix Mars Lander, which was originally schedued to end last month until given a 30-day estension, has gotten yet another extension. NASA has decided to fund the mission through December.

Phoenix has taken the first step towards actually finding evidence of life on Mars by establishing water ice exists just under the surface in the northern polar region of the planet.

Winter is closing in over Mars' northern hemisphere, and it's unlikely Phoenix will survive the bitter cold, so this extension will likely be the last. It's fair to note, however, that this extension alone will be for longer than the entire mission was originally planned to last. Phoenix Mars Lander has been a remarkable success.

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