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Phoenix
Launch: August 4, 2007
In the continuing pursuit of water on Mars, the poles are a good place to probe, as water ice is found there. This mission sent a high-latitude lander to Mars where it is using its robotic arm to dig trenches up to half a meter (1.6 feet) into layers of soil and water ice.
+ Overview
› JPL Phoenix site
› University of Arizona Phoenix Site
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Pioneer 3-4
Pioneer 3 Launch: December 6, 1958
Pioneer 4 Launch: March 3, 1959
Pioneer 3 and 4 were early satellites designed to be lofted toward the Moon. Pioneer 4 successfully passed within 60,000 kilometers (37,300 miles) of the Moon and is now orbiting the Sun, the first U.S. spacecraft placed in solar orbit.
+ Overview
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Surveyors to the Moon
Launches: 1966-1968
The Surveyor missions were the first U.S. efforts to make soft landings on the Moon. Most were successful and the Surveyor series acquired almost 90,000 images from five lunar sites.
+ Overview
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Ulysses Solar Polar Mission
Launch: October 6, 1990
A joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency, Ulysses for the first time sent a spacecraft out of the ecliptic - the plane in which Earth and other planets orbit the sun - to study the sun's north and south poles. The spacecraft, which operated for more than 18 years, ceased operations on June 30, 2009.
+ Overview
› Ulysses home page
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Viking to Mars
Viking 1 Launch: August 20, 1975
Viking 2 Launch: September 9, 1975
The Viking project was the first mission to land a spacecraft safely on the surface of another planet. Two identical craft each had an orbiter and a lander; both orbiter-lander pairs successfully studied Mars.
+ Overview
› Mars exploration
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