counting down to touchdown at the Martian North Pole this week on Planetary Radio. Hi everyone,

Welcome to Public Radio's travel show that takes you to the Final Frontier.

I'm Matt Kaplan. This week we begin several weeks of

special coverage. Phoenix has nearly reached its destination. Not just the

surface of Mars but a spot that is well within the Martian Arctic Circle.

With a successful landing, the spacecraft will begin to dig beneath the surface down to where

we believe there is ice, Lots and lots of ice. For a status report and a

mission preview we'll listen in on a NASA media briefing that featured Phoenix

Principal investigator and past Planetary Radio Guest Peter Smith

Barry Goldstein Phoenix Project Manager and Ed Weiler head of NASA's Science Mission

Directorate. Have you ever wondered how you could join the ranks of these and other planetary scientists?

Emily Lachto-walla will get you started with this week's Q&A.

And Bruce Bats will add his thoughts about Phoenix as he tells us about the night sky.

Bruce also has a great Phoenix trivia question for our new contest.

Bill Nye, the Science Guy has the week off.

Hey, speaking of Ed Weiler, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced a few days ago

that the former Goddard Space Flight Center Director now has the permanent position

as NASA's Associate Administrator for the Agency's Science Mission Directorate.

Weiler was named Interim Chief on March 26th, when Alan Stern resigned.

Weiler will direct a wide variety of research and scientific

exploration programs for Earth studies, space weather, the solar system, and the

universe. The International Lunar Network. No no it's not a new Rupert Murdoch TV venture, the

...