EON

Boston (EON) – NASA is set to launch a spacecraft on a 9-month journey to Mars to dig below the surface for clues of past life.

The Phoenix probe is set to take off on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida on a Delta II rocket as it begins its journey to Mars. The polar probe will be the first large attempt by NASA to try and dig beneath the surface of Mars. The probe is going to be looking for any clues or evidence to past existence of life, or even present existence of life, on Mars.

Phoenix was originally scheduled to launch on Friday but was delayed due to severe weather conditions which prevented the fueling of the second stage of the rocket.

Phoenix is expected to arrive in Mars in late May of 2008 as long as everything goes as planned.

The probe is expected to land on flat terrain. Ice is expected to lie just a few centimeteres below the surface within reach of the robotic arm of the Phoenix which has a length of 2.4 meters of 7.5 feet.