Mars surface. Phoenix lander spacecraft image, showing the \Snow White\" trench in the Martian surface. Part of the landers solar panels are seen at right. Phoenix was launched on 4th August 2007 and landed on Mars on 25th May 2008. It is the first successful landing on a polar region of Mars and the sixth successful Mars landing. This mission's aim is to research the history of water on Mars and to evaluate the environment for any past (or potential future) microbial life on the planet. Image obtained on 8th July 2008 (Sol 43), using the Surface Stereo Imager (SSI)."