The University of Arizona Blazes a Trail to Mars

As the Phoenix spacecraft closes the final million miles to Mars, team leaders from NASA headquarters, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and The University of Arizona anxiously await the seven minutes of truth that will cap five years of preparation. In a dramatic sequence, Phoenix will enter Mars' atmosphere, reach a scorching 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit in descent, and finally, in the last 18 seconds, fire its thrusters to land. With mission manager Joe Guinn reporting that Phoenix is functioning "great," researchers have high hopes that Sunday, the mission will be known for two firsts: the first NASA mission led by a public university and the first to touch Martian water ice.