re: Could the Phoenix spacecraft carry out a 'bonus' experiment/activity?
First place, thank you.
Until your post, I'd never heard of this event. As a fan of Surveyor history, I am embarrassed, and delighted.
IMO, that is seriously cool stuff.
Nick, Doug, and Raoul make relevant points, but your post on Surveyor 6 brings to mind a question about the architecture of *future,standardized, modular, mass production landers/probes.
Seems like a re-boost capability, for a planetary lander, would be desirable.
*AWD (After we're dead)