On Sunday, soon after the finish of the Indianapolis 500 race, the Phoenix Mars Lander will approach the planet Mars and attempt a powered landing. Live coverage will be shown on NASA television with the descent to Martian surface beginning around 4:46 P.M. Eastern time. Here are some sequences showing how the Phoenix will approach Mars, enter the Martian atmosphere, and descend to the surface. Link here to see an animated video of the spacecraft as it approaches and lands on Mars.

In the sequence, Phoenix reaches the Martian atmosphere, and is protected from the searing heat as it enters the air on Mars. The lander slows in the atmosphere is the help of parachutes, and then with rocket fire, the lander reaches the surface.

According to NASA, this sequence is the scariest in the entire journey of the spacecraft to Mars. Only 5 of eleven spacecraft have landed safely on Mars. Lets hope this is the sixth.