I’ve just arrived in Tucson to get ready for the landing of Phoenix, NASA’s mission to Mars’ north pole. This seems to cause a little confusion here in Arizona, as I’ve found talking to folks en route. Phoenix, of course, is also the capital city of Arizona, Tucson’s big brother a few hours north. So let me get this straight, they say. NASA is landing a spacecraft on Mars, and operating it from Tucson. But they’re calling it Phoenix? Why didn’t they call it Tucson?

I try to explain. (I don’t confuse any further by adding that, during the landing sequence, mission control will temporarily be at Jet Propulsion Lab in California.) Many of Phoenix’s designs come from the failed Mars Polar Lander, and thus the mission is rising from its ashes. A great name — unless you happen to be from Tucson.