MARS EXPLORATION

NASA Spacecraft Shows Diverse, Wet Environments on Ancient Mars
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. >>

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander to Begin Rasping Frozen Layer
A powered rasp on the back of the robotic arm scoop of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is being tested for the first time on Mars in gathering sample shavings of ice. >>

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Uses Soil Probe and Swiss Scope
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has touched Martian soil with a fork-like probe for the first time and begun using a microscope that examines shapes of tiny particles by touching them. >>

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Uses Soil Probe and Swiss Scope
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has touched Martian soil with a fork-like probe for the first time and begun using a microscope that examines shapes of tiny particles by touching them. >>

Sample-Collection Tests by NASA's Phoenix Lander Continue
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's science and engineering teams are testing methods to get an icy sample into the Robotic Arm scoop for delivery to the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA). >>

NASA'S Phoenix Lander Delivers Soil-Chemistry Sample
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander used its Robotic Arm to deliver a second sample of soil for analysis by the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory, data received from Phoenix on Sunday night confirmed. >>

Phoenix To Bake Ice-Rich Sample Next Week
The next sample delivered to NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) will be ice-rich. >>

Phoenix Scrapes 'Almost Perfect' Icy Soil for Analysis
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander enlarged the "Snow White" trench and scraped up little piles of icy soil on Saturday, June 28, the 33rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. >>

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

Phoenix Takes Microscopic Image of Scoop Content
This image shows a microscopic view of fine-grained material at the tip of the Robotic Arm scoop on June 20, 2008. The image shows small clumps of fine, fluffy, red soil particles. >>

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Puts Soil in Chemistry Lab, Team Discusses Next Steps
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander placed a sample of Martian soil in the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory today for the first time. >>

NASA Spacecraft Reveal Largest Crater in Solar System
New analysis of Mars' terrain using NASA spacecraft observations reveals what appears to be by far the largest impact crater ever found in the solar system. >>

Phoenix Poised to Deliver Sample for Wet Chemistry
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander repositioned its robotic arm slightly today and is now poised to deliver Martian soil to its wet chemistry laboratory. >>

Phoenix Lander Prepares for Microscopy, Wet Chemistry on Mars
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has delivered a scoop of Martian soil from the 'Snow White' trenches to the optical microscope for analysis on Sol 29. >>