This program chronicles the story of the Phoenix Mars Lander, which launched in August 2007 and is scheduled to land on the Martian surface on May 25, 2008. The program features interviews with scientists who discuss the spacecraft's custom instruments and the intricate preparations that preceded the launch. After touchdown, the lander will collect soil and ice samples to search for trace organics and for evidence of how water has changed the subsurface environment. The scientists hope to determine where the water on Mars went.

Thursday, 5/22/08 from 10-11 p.m. ET

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