Mars lander fills test oven with pinch of soil (AP)

June 11th, 2008

In this image provided by NASA the Phoenix Mars Lander used its Robotic Arm during the mission's 15th Martian day since landing Monday June 9, 2008 to test a 'sprinkle' method for delivering small samples of soil to instruments on the lander deck. Scientists troubleshooting the Phoenix lander said Monday they will try one last shake to get a scoopful of Martian dirt inside a tiny oven in hopes of jump-starting their study of Mars' north pole region. Phoenix's first science experiment to heat the permafrost soil was delayed after it was discovered that virtually none of it passed through a screen to reach a miniature oven, one of eight aboard the spacecraft that will heat soil and sniff the resulting vapors for signs of life-friendly elements. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M)AP - NASA’s Phoenix Mars lander was not the only one doing the shaking. Scientists operating the spacecraft broke into song and dance on Wednesday after learning that their latest effort to shake lumps of Martian soil into a tiny testing oven worked.


Filed under: Science by lrenz

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