This view of a portion of the spacecraft deck and one of the footpads of
NASA's three-legged Phoenix Mars Lander shows a solid surface at the
spacecraft's landing site. As the legs touched down on the surface of
Mars, they kicked up some loose material on top of the footpad, but
overall, the surface is unperturbed.
Each footpad is about the size of a large dinner plate, measuring 11.5
inches from rim to rim. The base of the footpad is shaped like the bottom
of a shallow bowl to provide stability.
This image was taken by the Phoenix spacecraft's Surface Stereo Imager
shortly after landing on Mars.
The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf
of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin
Space Systems, Denver.
