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On Mars, 'Something That Looks Like Ice'

Phoenix probe sends home photos from arctic region

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted May 31, 2008 7:53 PM CDT
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(Newser) – The Phoenix probe sent home photos today of what looks like ice just under Mars' rocky surface, Space.com reports. "The thrusters have excavated two to six inches and, sure enough, we see something that looks like ice,” one mission scientist said. NASA picked the landing spot, in the planet's northern arctic, because it likely hid ice under a thin layer of soil.

At issue is whether primitive life may have once existed on Mars. Phoenix will continue its 3-month, $422-million search for ice with its robotic digging arm, chemistry lab, and onboard ovens.

This contrast-enhanced image provided Friday, May 30, 2008 by NASA was acquired at the Phoenix landing site by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC). As seen in the top center, the exhaust from the descent engine has blown soil off to reveal either rock or ice, which has not yet been...
This contrast-enhanced image provided Friday, May 30, 2008 by NASA was acquired at the Phoenix landing site by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC). As seen in the top center, the exhaust from the descent...   (AP Photo)
An artist's rendition of the Phoenix lander on the arctic plains of Mars digging a trench through the upper soil layer.
An artist's rendition of the Phoenix lander on the arctic plains of Mars digging a trench through the upper soil layer.   (AP Photo)
Peter Smith, Principal Investigator from University of Arizona raises his hand as he guarantees to project manager Barry Goldstein that there is ice below the surface of Mars.
Peter Smith, Principal Investigator from University of Arizona raises his hand as he guarantees to project manager Barry Goldstein that there is ice below the surface of Mars.   (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A photo from the Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera shows the underside of the lander. Descent thrusters on the bottom of the lander are visible at the top of the image.
A photo from the Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera shows the underside of the lander. Descent thrusters on the bottom of the lander are visible at the top of the image.   (AP Photo)
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NASA • Mars • extraterrestrial life • Phoenix Mars Lander • robotic arm • ice

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