A Delta II rocket launched the Phoenix spacecraft on its 422 million-mile journey to Mars at 5:26 a.m. EDT.
NASA's latest Mars lander is a recycled robotic dirt and ice digger built using spare parts from past missions.
The spacecraft is to land on the Martian Arctic plains on May 25, 2008, and spend three months scooping up soil and ice, and analyzing the samples in tiny ovens and mixing bowls. Phoenix Mars Lander will be looking for traces of organic compounds, which would be a possible indicator of conditions favorable for life.
Things may not go as planned. Only five of the 15 U.S., Russian and European attempts to land spacecraft on Mars have succeeded.
Image Credits: Launch - NASA; Right image - Phoenix lander with solar panels deployed in clean room, Lockeheed Martin.
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