NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will open its solar arrays 20 minutes after it touches down on the surface of Mars. This ensures that any dust kicked up during the landing will not settle in on the arrays.
This artist's illustration is part of an animation that can be found at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/multimedia/animation.html .
The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona › Full Resolution› View Main Page