This color mosaic image of the protective cover of the lidar onboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander was taken by the Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) on Sol 35, or the 35th day of the mission, June 30, 2008. The lidar is part of the Canadian-built weather station, contributed to the mission by the Canadian Space Agency.

The SSI images are part of a panorama of the lander's deck and instruments.

The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter.