Researchers had hoped that the lander would survive into the Martian winter so that it could witness polar ice developing around it – perhaps up to 1 meter (3 ft) of solid carbon dioxide ice could have appeared. However, the craft exceeded its expected operational lifetime by a little over two months before succumbing to the increasing cold and dark of an advancing Martian winter. The primary mission was anticipated to last 90 sols (Martian days)-just over 92 Earth days. Phoenix was the first mission to return data from either of the poles, and contributed to NASA's main strategy for Mars exploration, ' Follow the water.' Phoenix's instruments were suitable for uncovering information on the geological and possibly biological history of the Martian Arctic. The second was to evaluate past or potential planetary habitability in the ice-soil boundary. One was to study the geological history of water, the key to unlocking the story of past climate change. Ī labeled look at NASA's Phoenix Mars lander. The program was considered a success because it completed all planned science experiments and observations. After unsuccessful attempts to contact the lander by the Mars Odyssey orbiter up to and past the Martian summer solstice on May 12, 2010, JPL declared the lander to be dead. The mission was declared concluded on November 10, 2008, after engineers were unable to re-contact the craft. The lander completed its mission in August 2008, and made a last brief communication with Earth on November 2 as available solar power dropped with the Martian winter. Phoenix was NASA's sixth successful landing on Mars, from seven attempts, and the first in Mars' polar region. It was the first NASA mission to Mars led by a public university. Academic and industrial partners included universities in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates (MDA) and other aerospace companies. The multi-agency program was led by the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, with project management by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The mission was part of the Mars Scout Program its total cost was $420 million, including the cost of launch. Its instruments were used to assess the local habitability and to research the history of water on Mars. Phoenix was operational on Mars for 157 sols (161 days). Phoenix was an uncrewed space probe that landed on the surface of Mars on and operated until November 2, 2008. Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer

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