Click on the image for the animation

This artist's conception shows NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander during its more than 9-month journey to Mars. During this cruise phase of the mission, the lander remains tucked inside its aeroshell, with the aeroshell attached to a cruise stage that will be jettisoned in the final minutes of flight.

This illustration is part of the animation featured above.

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.

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.