8226 NASA Ice mineral rich soil could support human outpost on Mars: related news

• NASA: Ice, mineral-rich soil could support human outpost on Mars

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NASA: Ice, mineral-rich soil could support human outpost on Mars

The ice and minerals found using a robotic arm in the Martian soil could make it easier for humans to live on the planet in the not-so-distant future.

NASA: Ice, mineral-rich soil could support human outpost on Mars

The ice and minerals found using a robotic arm in the Martian soil could make it easier for humans to live on the planet in the not-so-distant future.

NASA: Ice, mineral-rich soil could support human outpost on Mars

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NASA probe confirms ice on Mars

NASA scientists say photos sent from Mars by the Phoenix Lander confirm ice on the red planet. The presence of water is crucial for research because it helps answer questions on whether life forms, perhaps microbes, exist or existed on Mars. Phoenix dug a trench near Mars' north pole and a sequence of photos shows eight white chucks slowly vanishing. Over the next few weeks Phoenix will analyse the Martian soil and look for organic material. In 2002 another unmanned craft, the Mars Odyssey Orbiter first detected what's thought to be a vast sheet of ice under the barren polar surface.

Scientists: Martian soil may be harsh to life

This undated image provided by NASA shows the Phoenix spacecraft's inverted scoop preparing to take soil samples on Mars. NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has detected the presence of a chemically reactive salt in the Martian soil, a finding that if confirmed could make it less friendly to potential life than once believed, according to a report Monday Aug. 4, 2008. This undated image provided by NASA shows the Phoenix spacecraft's inverted scoop preparing to take soil samples on Mars. NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has detected the presence of a chemically reactive salt in the Martian soil, a finding that if confirmed could make it less friendly to potential life than once believed, according to a report Monday Aug. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA)

Soil Science Education Page

For July 15, 2008: Wow! NASA and the Soil Science Society of America's Soil Science Education page is a tremendous site rich in content and detail. If there is anything you want to know about soil you will probably find it on these pages. Features include soil songs, a pH chart of forest trees and plants, soil in the news, five soil forming factors, soil characteristics, a soil cake recipe, and much more.

NASA's Phoenix Lander goes sleepless on Mars

A NASA handout image shows the Robotic Arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander with a sample of martian soil. A NASA statement said that analysis of images from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has scientists increasingly convinced of ice near the Red Planet's North Pole.(Photo:Agencies)

NASA's Phoenix Lander goes sleepless on Mars

A NASA handout image shows the Robotic Arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander with a sample of martian soil. A NASA statement said that analysis of images from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has scientists increasingly convinced of ice near the Red Planet's North Pole.

NASA's Phoenix Lander goes sleepless on Mars

A NASA handout image shows the Robotic Arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander with a sample of martian soil. A NASA statement said that analysis of images from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has scientists increasingly convinced of ice near the Red Planet's North Pole.

NASA Mars Phoenix Scrapes to Icy Soil in Wonderland

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander scraped to icy soil in the "Wonderland" area on June 26, confirming that surface soil, subsurface soil and icy soil can be sampled at a single trench.

Water Ice On Mars

cathector sends along a story from SpaceWeather.com on the discovery of water ice on Mars. "Scientists have figured out the mysterious white substance unearthed by NASA's Phoenix lander on Mars. It's frozen water. The breakthrough came last week when Phoenix's stereo camera caught the substance in the act of disappearing. Bathed in martian sunlight for four days, the white substance sublimated — i.e., it transformed from solid to gas without passing through the liquid state. This is how water behaves on Mars.... Some readers have asked, how do we know the white substance is not frozen CO2 (dry ice) instead of frozen water? Answer: Phoenix's landing site is too warm for dry ice. The average daily temperature is about -70 F while dry ice requires temperatures lower than about -109 F.

NASA?s Phoenix Mars Lander scoops up soil sample for lab analysis

NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander scoops up soil sample for lab analysisWashington, August 23 : NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander has scooped up a soil sample from an intermediate depth between the ground surface and a subsurface icy layer and delivered it to a laboratory oven on the spacecraft for analysis.

NASA: After ice test glitch, Mars robot moves to analyze soil

After hitting a snag in their attempts to analyze Martian ice, NASA scientists are expanding their scope to test dry soil.

Mars bake test hastened after oven short circuit

This artist rendition provided by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows the Phoenix lander on the arctic plains of Mars digging a trench through the upper soil layer. The Phoenix Mars lander suffered a short circuit several weeks ago to one of its eight tiny test ovens. Scientists fear another outage could render the crucial equipment useless. This artist rendition provided by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows the Phoenix lander on the arctic plains of Mars digging a trench through the upper soil layer. The Phoenix Mars lander suffered a short circuit several weeks ago to one of its eight tiny test ovens. Scientists fear another outage could render the crucial equipment useless. (AP Photo/NASA-JPL, Cory Waste)

Mid-Depth Soil Collected For Lab Test On NASA's Mars Lander

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has scooped up a soil sample from an intermediate depth between the ground surface and a subsurface icy layer. The sample was delivered to a laboratory oven on the spacecraft.

Mars' Sticky Soil Strikes Again

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander scraped up some icy soil with its robotic arm and scoop and then attempted to quickly deliver the sample to the oven on board. But not enough soil made it to the oven; the icy soil stuck to the scoop. Engineers determined the rasping and scraping activity collected a total of 3 cubic centimeters of icy soil, more than enough to fill the tiny oven cell of the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA. However, images returned from the lander Saturday showed that much of the soil remained lodged in the robotic arm's scoop after the delivery attempt. "Very little of the icy sample made it into the oven,� said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager. “We believe that the material that was intended for the targeted cell is the material that adhered to the back of the scoop.

Phoenix Digs Deep for 90th Day on Mars

The next sample of Martian soil being grabbed for analysis is coming from a trench about three times deeper than any other trench NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has dug. On Tuesday, August 26, the scoop on the lander's robotic arm will pick up a sample of soil from the bottom of a trench called "Stone Soup" which is about 18 centimeters, or 7 inches deep. Tuesday will be the 90th Martian day or sol that the lander has been on the Red Planet, which was the original amount of time set for Phoenix's primary mission. NASA has extended the mission through September, but the clock is ticking for the plucky little lander and the oncoming winter at Mars' north polar region.

NASA's Mars News Is Not Life, But Perchlorate

leighklotz writes "In an update to the little green men story of not-life-on-Mars, NASA has twittered: 'The buzz this weekend was due to an interesting soil chemistry finding, still preliminary, but now avail here:' where 'here' is NASA Spacecraft Analyzing Martian Soil Data. The exciting bit: 'Within the last month, two samples have been analyzed by the Wet Chemistry Lab of the spacecraft's Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer, or MECA, suggesting one of the soil constituents may be perchlorate, a highly oxidizing substance.' Also, 'NASA will hold a media teleconference on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m. EDT, to discuss these recent science activities.'"

NASA Spacecraft Shows Diverse, Wet Environments on Ancient Mars

WASHINGTON, July 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two studies based on data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed that the Red Planet once hosted vast lakes, flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life. One study, published in the July 17 issue of Nature, shows that vast regions of the ancient highlands of Mars, which cover about half the planet, contain clay minerals, which can form only in the presence of water. Volcanic lavas buried the clay-rich regions during subsequent, drier periods of the planet's history, but impact craters later exposed them at thousands of locations across Mars. The data for the study derives from images taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, or CRISM, and other instruments on the orbiter.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander enlarges trench in search of ice

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is using its robotic arm to enlarge an exposure of hard subsurface material expected to yield a sample of ice-rich soil for analysis in one of the lander's ovens.

NASA discovers ice on Mars

LOS ANGELES (RTRS): The Mars Phoenix Lander has found ice on the surface of the Red Planet, triumphant NASA scientists said on Thursday, a key discovery for the spacecraft as it searches for water and signs of life on Earth’s closet planetary neighbor. The proof came in a series of pictures sent back by Phoenix of a trench it dug with its robotic arm at the arctic circle of Mars, showing dice-sized chunks of white material that are seen to melt away over the course of several days. “It is with great pride and a lot of joy today that I announce we’ve found the proof we’ve been seeking that this really is water ice and not some other material,” mission principal investigator Peter Smith, of the University of Arizona, said at a press conference.

NASA: Mars Soil Could Support Extreme Life Forms, Maybe

Marsphoenix Martian soil may be less Earth-like than previously thought, but that doesn't mean it can't support life, NASA scientists said today.

NASA denies rumors of finding life on Mars

NASA has denied media and internet speculation that the Phoenix Lander has found life on the 'Red Planet', Mars and has also denied that the White House in the United States has been briefed on such matters that would lead up to an announcement by NASA later this week. This comes just after NASA stated on July 31, that Phoenix confirmed the presence of water-ice on Mars.

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