After the failure of the. Mars Polar Lander mission, astronomers from many nations worked together to create its successor, called Phoenix. NASA launched this spacecraft on August 4, 2007, which made a soft landing with retro-rockets on May 25, 2008, in the Vastitas Borealis near the north polar region of Mars. Phoenix lasted nearly twice as long as its planned ninety-Martian-day mission plan, and sent back to Earth valuable information about the soil, atmosphere, chemistry, and surface conditions on Mars in an area that might be able to support life.