This image, taken by the Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) of NASA's Phoenix
Lander, shows Martian soil piled on top of the spacecraft's deck and some
of its instruments. Visible in the upper-left portion of the image are
several wet chemistry cells of the lander's Microscopy, Electrochemistry,
and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA). The instrument on the lower right of the
image is the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer. The excess sample delivered
to the MECA’s sample stage can be seen on the deck in the lower left
portion of the image.
This image was taken on Martian day, or sol, 142, on Saturday, Oct. 19,
2008. Phoenix landed on Mars' northern plains on May 25, 2008.
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.
