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Phoenix Lander begins search for life on Mars

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Published 24 May, 2008 08:13:00 The Takeaway
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(Image: NASA)

After a 10-month journey, the Phoenix Lander successfully touched down on Mars' northern polar surface.


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The Phoenix Mars Lander launched Aug. 4, 2007, in a quest to find life on Mars. After a 10-month, 422 million-mile journey, the lander successfully touched down on the planet's northern polar surface last night. CNN's technology and environment correspondent Miles O'Brien has been at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory since Friday. He joins "The Takeaway" live from Pasadena, California, to talk about the significance of this event.

This is the first time a probe has been sent to Mars with the capability of excavating and analyzing the planets polar surface. The mission is meant to look for evidence of microbial life and analyze climate change on the red planet. NASA is hoping to analyze the ice just below the planets permafrost surface.

The last time JPL and NASA made a successful, controlled soft landing on Mars was back in the 1970s.

"The Takeaway" is PRI's new national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

More at thetakeaway.org.

Found in:   The Takeaway   space   North America   USA   John Hockenberry   Celeste Headlee
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