Phoenix Mars Lander Confirms Martian Water
July 31, 2008
This partial view of a full-circle panorama shows NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander and the polygonal patterning of the ground at the landing area. The image is in approximately true color. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University Arizona/Texas A&M University
(PhysOrg.com) -- Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample. The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples.
"We have water," said William Boynton of the University of Arizona, lead scientist for the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA. "We've seen evidence for this water ice before in observations by the Mars Odyssey orbiter and in disappearing chunks observed by Phoenix last month, but this is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted."
With enticing results so far and the spacecraft in good shape, NASA also announced operational funding for the mission will extend through Sept. 30. The original prime mission of three months ends in late August. The mission extension adds five weeks to the 90 days of the prime mission.
"Phoenix is healthy and the projections for solar power look good, so we want to take full advantage of having this resource in one of the most interesting locations on Mars," said Michael Meyer, chief scientist for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The soil sample came from a trench approximately 2 inches deep. When the robotic arm first reached that depth, it hit a hard layer of frozen soil. Two attempts to deliver samples of icy soil on days when fresh material was exposed were foiled when the samples became stuck inside the scoop. Most of the material in Wednesday's sample had been exposed to the air for two days, letting some of the water in the sample vaporize away and making the soil easier to handle.
"Mars is giving us some surprises," said Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona. "We're excited because surprises are where discoveries come from. One surprise is how the soil is behaving. The ice-rich layers stick to the scoop when poised in the sun above the deck, different from what we expected from all the Mars simulation testing we've done. That has presented challenges for delivering samples, but we're finding ways to work with it and we're gathering lots of information to help us understand this soil."
Since landing on May 25, Phoenix has been studying soil with a chemistry lab, TEGA, a microscope, a conductivity probe and cameras. Besides confirming the 2002 finding from orbit of water ice near the surface and deciphering the newly observed stickiness, the science team is trying to determine whether the water ice ever thaws enough to be available for biology and if carbon-containing chemicals and other raw materials for life are present.
The mission is examining the sky as well as the ground. A Canadian instrument is using a laser beam to study dust and clouds overhead.
"It's a 30-watt light bulb giving us a laser show on Mars," said Victoria Hipkin of the Canadian Space Agency.
A full-circle, color panorama of Phoenix's surroundings also has been completed by the spacecraft.
"The details and patterns we see in the ground show an ice-dominated terrain as far as the eye can see," said Mark Lemmon of Texas A&M University, lead scientist for Phoenix's Surface Stereo Imager camera. "They help us plan measurements we're making within reach of the robotic arm and interpret those measurements on a wider scale."
Provided by NASA
Oct 30, 2009 |
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Ha, the mission leader knows how to play the game doesn't he! I bet they could have confirmed water some time ago, but he maximized the political usefulness of the 'discovery' by delaying it until a month before the mission was scheduled to end. Brilliant.
Could that sticky dirt and water on the scoop be an exotic alien substance called "mud"?
They are digging into perma frost dirt. Then when it is exposed to the sun on the scoop it goes sticky. Perhaps some of the water is not immediately vaporizing, but is entering the liquid phase. Even if only temporary it would still create dried mud. Wow this idea has to be worth a nobel prize! ;-)
Imagine how ridiculous this chatter over the scum-sucking politics of research grants looks to my eyes.
Hey, here's an idea! Let's go to Mars in 30 years!?! :-/
Get a grip. Let's go tomorrow!!
Seriously. We have, right now, everything it takes. And Mars has water. Regular old ice. And it's two inches down.
Come on kids. Can you get off your duffs and raise some enthusiasm for something truly worthwhile? NASA, you need serious help. And I don't see that white knight anywhere nearby...
As an ex-NASA type, who endured countless meetings where "things" were discussed, but little "done", there isn't much hope of changing them. (I was at a research center). Many, many people who are in NASA now joined for job security. A good part of the organization would need to be fired. (They even have a saying something like that in NASA.) What was different about the Saturn V days is that top people from all walks of life felt it their duty to join (that's actually the pitch NASA made). And they were joining the administrative genius of people such as Werner von Braun and Chris Craft. I met no managers even remotely similar to them in my years there.
In the beginning people went to Phila/Washington to serve the nation in time of need then went home. Now they go to D.C. to serve themselves and never leave (Well the dis-illusioned ones do).
Time for congressional term limits and employment time limits for the civil "servants" including the sponges at NASA.
And there is much to do that won't involve astronauts at all! First a small army of machines should be sent to start digging and tunneling into the landscape to create underground habitats for the coming human explorers. Then there should be machines that can begin seriously mining, purifying and processing the water for oxygen, hydrogen and, well, water.
I ten years time, I would like to see a small and virtually self-sufficient martian resort assembled and ready for human habitation. I mean, do you realize what all that water means? Air, food, heat, light. And flush toilets.
The first person on Mars should be welcomed by a team of robots presenting fresh air(in bottled form), a warm meal and a hot shower.
I would propose a contest/X-prize-like competition for the best, fastest, smartest, most useful machinery to start to make this happen.
Personally, I'd like some digging to commence so that we can get a look at the obvious subterrenean system of lava tubes! There, I believe, is where the action is.
Let the games begin! And let's hope the Chinese aren't reading this!
That said I would also like to know how the presence of water was confirmed. Last time they claimed anything evaporating has to be water so I'd be more inclined to trust their results if I could evaluate the logic behind it myslef.
http://planetary....yzer.htm
If it takes a year to send supplies to mars the base needs to be self sufficient. Hence we need to learn our lessons on the moon first.
As a crude example think about 12 months without loo paper or a screw driver.
The main reason that there is no money for these projects is that there is no money. We should ask the Saudi's for a donation as they are the ones getting filthy rich.