Success on Mars – the Phoenix has landed

So far, so good, as NASA appears to have nailed, the landing of the Phoenix, which will explore the Martian Arctic.

Phoenix is designed to dig down directly to the level of water in the Martian Arctic soil and explore for signs of life.

Instruments on the spacecraft include a small oven that will heat the scooped-up dirt and ice to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Analyzing the vapors will provide information on the minerals, and that will, in turn, provide clues about whether the ice ever melted and whether this region was habitable. The mission is to last three months, with the possibility of a two-month extension.

NASA sees it as an obvious stepping-stone to future missions.

Next step, in my book? One more Phoenix-like mission, then a land-and-return mission. NO, not a manned mission.