Mars has long been the focus of missions that aim to understand its climate, geology, and potential for past habitability. Tracking programs and individual missions gives context to how priorities and technology have evolved over time.
There are 1 Mars Scout Missions, ranging from Phoenix to Phoenix. The list shows Launch date,Status,Mission type for each entry so you can compare objectives and outcomes — you’ll find below.
What did the Phoenix mission discover and why does it matter?
Phoenix landed near Mars’ north pole in 2008 and confirmed the presence of water ice in shallow subsurface deposits, analyzed soil chemistry, and monitored local weather. Those results improved understanding of Martian volatiles and informed design choices for later surface missions, showing how a focused lander can provide high-value science despite a limited program scope.
Mars Scout Missions
| Name | Launch date | Status | Mission type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 2007-08-04 | Flown (landed 2008) | Lander |
Images and Descriptions
Phoenix
Phoenix was a NASA Scout lander launched 2007-08-04 that touched down near Mars’s north polar region in 2008. It studied ice-rich soil, climate history, and searched for signs of past habitable conditions using a compact suite of instruments – first direct detection of subsurface water ice.
Enjoyed this article?
Get daily 10-minute PDFs about astronomy to read before bed!
Sign up for our upcoming micro-learning service where you will learn something new about space and beyond every day while winding down.
