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Lockheed Built Mars Lander Heads For Florida

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May 7, 2007 10:30 am US/Mountain

Lockheed Built Mars Lander Heads For Florida

by Michelle Griego
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) ― The Lockheed Martin built Phoenix Mars Lander arrived at Buckley Air Force Base early Monday morning for a flight later in the day to NASA in Florida where it's scheduled to launch into space in early August.

The specially boxed space probe traveled on the back of a truck and was escorted by police cars during the pre-dawn hours.

CBS4 was there last Thursday when Phoenix was being boxed for shipment back at Lockheed's Waterton Canyon facility in Jefferson County.

Scientists hope the lander will answer the question about whether life existed on the red planet.

"Analyze that ice and see if maybe we can find organic compounds which are conducive to life," said Gary Napier, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson. "We're not looking for life, but we're seeing if traces of life exist."

Phoenix will be in the high northern latitude of Mars where it's believed ice is under the soil. A robotic arm will scoop up the soil for testing.

The entire mission on Mars will last 90 days. Researchers expect the Phoenix will freeze to death.

(© MMVII CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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