It is a Mars Scout mission
"Mars Scout Program
Mars Scouts are competitively proposed missions intended to supplement, at moderate cost, the sequence of larger, strategic missions of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. The Phoenix mission plan, developed by a team led by a University of Arizona scientist, was one of 25 proposals submitted for the first Mars Scout solicitation round. NASA solicited proposals in 2006 for the second Mars Scout mission, to fly in 2011."
Off the top of my head, they cost about $400M or so. If you can do better for that amount of cash then please do submit a proposal!