Baseline Mission

Phoenix will fly the existing M’01 Lander, which is expected to survive up to 150 sols in the polar regions. The M’01 Lander was fully designed and constructed when the program was halted 4 months into ATLO. As a result of extensive reviews following the cancellation of the original mission, the M’01 lander is one of the best understood landing platforms that NASA has available. By incorporating recommendations clearly enumerated by the commissions, and by implementing the guided entry and hazard avoidance capabilities of the lander, we can safely land the mature payload with precision.

As shown below, the Phoenix baseline mission consists of up to 90 sols digging, sampling, and analysis followed by weather monitoring through sol 150. Phoenix will complete 90% of its science objectives by sol 90. The mission is planned to last from ~ L_s 73 to ~ L_s 150.

Phoenix Success Criteria

Sol	% Success	Milestone
1	5	Safe landing, descent imaging
2	10	Establish geologic context
5	15	Analyze surface dust
12	25	Establish ground truth (NS)
45	35	Analyze subsurface regolith
90*	90	Analyze icy layer
150	100	Complete weather monitoring

* Includes 25 sol margin