The mobile service tower, or gantry, prepares to move from away from the Delta II 7925 rocket carrying the Phoenix spacecraft, on Launch Pad 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Delta II rocket is equipped with three stages and nine strap-on solid rocket motors, the propellant needed to send the Phoenix spacecraft on its way toward Mars.

Launch took place successfully early on the morning of Saturday, August 4 at 5:26 a.m. EDT.

Phoenix will land in icy soils near the permanent, north polar ice cap of Mars, and explore the history of water in these soils and any associated rocks, while monitoring polar climate.

The landing on Mars is estimated for May 25, 2008, in a location on arctic ground where the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, currently in orbit, has detected high concentrations of ice just beneath the top layer of soil