Descent of the Phoenix . ... But the bright spot highlighted in the inset is the Phoenix lander parachuting toward the surface. The amazing picture was captured on May 25th by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. ... The orbiter was 760 kilometers away from Phoenix when picture was taken, at an altitude of 310 kilometers. ... Of course, the Phoenix lander itself is now returning much closer views of its landing site as it prepares to dig into the Martian surface. ...