NASA has confirmed a signal from the Phoenix Lander that it has finally landed on the surface of Mars. (4:53 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday May 25, 2008)
Phoenix Mars Mission http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu
NASA Phoenix Mars Lander www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main
“Mars is literally pulling on our spacecraft, and at the same time it is pulling on our emotions,” Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith, of the University of Arizona , Tucson , said early Sunday afternoon.
“We are excited at how close we are right now to beginning our study of a site where Martian water ice will be within our reach, after all these years of preparations. Our science mission begins as the spacecraft settles into its new home on Mars.”
Source: JPL/NASA/University of Arizona News Release: 2008-080 5/25/08