Congratulations to NASA for the first successful Mars landing, without airbags, since Viking 2 in 1976.

The Phoenix landed in the northern polar region, a site specifically chosen for the robotic probe to examine and dig for signs of ice, and the potential for past life on Mars.

Radio signals received at 4:53:44 PM PDT confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier. The signals took that long to travel from Mars to Earth at the speed of light.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said :

“For the first time in 32 years, and only the third time in history, a JPL team has carried out a soft landing on Mars,” Griffin said. “I couldn’t be happier to be here to witness this incredible achievement.”

During its 10-month, 422-million-mile flight from Earth to Mars, Phoenix relied on electricity from solar panels during the spacecraft’s cruise stage. The cruise stage was jettisoned seven minutes before the lander, encased in a protective shell, entered the Martian atmosphere. The unit relied on battery power until it landed and spread it solar wings.

JPL’s Barry Goldstein stated:

“We’ve passed the hardest part and we’re breathing again, but we still need to see that Phoenix has opened its solar arrays and begun generating power.”

The next stage will be the deployment of the robotic arm that Phoenix will use in it’s mission to dig up soil samples and ice, that the team will analyze remotely from the labrotory instruments on the deck of the Phoenix.