Countdown to Mars (broadcast Friday, May 23rd, 2008)

The landing site chosen for NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander, at about 68 degrees north latitude, is much farther north than the sites where previous spacecraft have landed on Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech

The latest mission to Mars, Mars Phoenix, is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet this coming Sunday. Mars Phoenix, whose name evokes the magical bird that can rise from the ashes, incorporates some of the experiments and technologies that were originally scheduled to fly on previous missions that were canceled, crashed, or otherwise failed. The lander plans to touch down in a Martian arctic plane as part of a hunt for frozen water and, perhaps, signs of life. We'll talk about the mission and what the scientists behind it hope to achieve. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.