NASA’s Pheonix Mars Lander spacecraft was recently transported to Florida in preparation for its upcoming mission, potentially as early as August 3rd this year.

Keeping with the organizations goals to send new probes to our closest biologically viable neighbour planet, NASA has been building and testing this new device in Denver with the hopes of launching it in time to take advantage of the orbital geometries between the Earth and Mars, thus, saving fuel.  To keep costs low, Pheonix will be using a lander structure and some other components originally built in 2001 for a mission that was cancelled before it even finished the development stage.

I must admit, I really like this approach.  In the past, NASA has had an incredible amount of resources to pull from.  While this is great for science, it can lead to excessive waste.  With all the budget cuts made over the years and the harsher panels convened by the government to account for the billions spent, management has been forced to make the most of absolutely everything.  Hopefully the methods employed here will not be forgotten should NASA ever be given a massive budget for a large-scale future endeavour.

One thing that really surprises me about the Pheonix Mars Lander is that it’s going to be a Lander rather than another Rover.  Our understanding of the martian terrain and history has greatly increased thanks to the seemingly tireless efforts of both Spirit and Opportunity, and I would have figured that more of these units would have been sent with more specialized tools and instruments for the various missions (I wonder if a flyer will ever be sent …).

Yet even with it’s stationary placement, the Pheonix will be able to glean more information about Mars’ history and potential for microbial life.  It should land in the martian arctic sometime in the spring of 2008 and will soon be scooping the soil found just beneat the surface.  Studies from orbit have suggested that within an arms reach of the surface, the soil holds frozen water.  If this is true, it will be a tease to every pioneering spirit here on Earth.  With a virgin planet to explore and tame, I’m sure many would be willing to rise to the challenge so long as the absolute basics of life could be met.