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Phoenix Rises Above Mars

The first mission intended to “touch and examine water on Mars,” was launched by NASA in August of 2007. The Martian probe Phoenix was scheduled to land in May 2008 near the Martian North Pole. From this location, the Phoenix mission involves direct observation of the water cycle, assessing the history of water on Mars and its effect on weather.

Land a Lunar Rover, Win Money

A new X PRIZE competition, sponsored by Google, began in 2007. The Google Lunar X PRIZE is a $30 million competition designed to stimulate entrepreneurial activity and investment. The prize will be awarded to the first team able to land a privately funded robotic rover on the lunar surface capable of roaming 500 meters and sending still images, video, and other data back to Earth.

Deep Space Probes from the Far East

In 2007, a number of robotic probes and planetary landers were launched as several nations developed their space exploration programs. Among these launches were the first lunar orbiters from Japan and China.