This view from the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander
shows the first impression—dubbed Yeti and looking like a wide
footprint -- made on the Martian soil by the Robotic Arm scoop on Sol 6,
the sixth Martian day of the mission, (May 31, 2008).
Touching the ground is the first step toward scooping up soil and ice and
delivering the samples to the lander's experiments.
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.