Soil Studies Continue At Site Of Phoenix Mars Lander

MARSDAILY

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager took this false color image on Sol 72 (August 7, 2008), the 72nd Martian day after landing. It shows a soil sample from a trench informally called "Rosy Red" after being delivered to a gap between partially opened doors on the lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A and M University

by Staff Writers
Tucson AZ (SPX) Aug 11, 2008
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has continued studies of its landing site by widening a trench, making overnight measurements of conductivity in the Martian soil and depositing a sample of surface soil into a gap between partially opened doors to an analytical oven on the lander.

Phoenix's robotic arm delivered soil Thursday from a trench informally named "Rosy Red" through a narrow opening to a screen above the No. 5 oven on the lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA). A few particles of the sample passed through the screen on Thursday, but not enough to fill the oven and allow analysis of the sample to begin.

The Phoenix team sent commands for TEGA to vibrate the screen again on Friday, and more material reached the oven, though still not enough to proceed with analysis.

"There appear to be clumps blocking the opening," said Doug Ming of NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, the Phoenix team's science lead on Friday. "However, we have seen in the past that when this soil sits for a while, it disperses. We intend to fill an oven with this material, either by additional vibration of the same screen or by opening doors to one of the other TEGA cells."

The conductivity measurements completed Wednesday ran from the afternoon of Phoenix's 70th Martian day, or sol, to the morning of Sol 71. A fork-like probe inserted into the soil checks how well heat and electricity move through the soil from one prong to another.

Friday's activities by the spacecraft included extending the width of an exploratory trench informally named "Neverland," which extends between two rocks on the surface of the ground.

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

MARSDAILY

Perchlorate salts: a major find on Mars

Tucson (UPI) Aug 6, 2008
U.S. space agency scientists say the discovery of perchlorate salts on Mars makes them reassess how they think about possible Martian life.

AEROSPACE NASA evaluates new wing sensor Russia And China May Co-Design New Passenger Plane China Southern Airlines managers take paycut due to oil prices British PM blasts polluting 'ghost' flights	CAR TECH Compressed air cars eyed by industry GM to export hybrid SUV to Europe, China, Middle East Nissan Motor unveils new prototype electric car Monash Fuels Next Gen Hybrid Cars
MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS Boeing Awarded E-6B Upgrade Contract Defense Support Program Satellite Decommissioned Raytheon Bids For USAF Command And Control Contract Northrop Grumman Demonstrates Multi-Function Electronic Warfare System	MISSILE DEFENSE LockMart Team Completes Testing Of Propulsion Component On MKV-L BMD Focus: Offshore Scud threat US considers deploying missile defense radar to Israel Outside View: BMD deal lessons -- Part 2
FARM NEWS Ethical coffee helps save Peruvian rainforest No Evidence To Support Organic Is Best TAU Researchers Root Out New And Efficient Crop Plants No-Tillage Plus	DISASTER MANAGEMENT Teacher sent to labour camp for China quake photos Over 600,000 evacuated as tropical storm hits China: reports China insurers expect 1.5 bln dlrs in snow, quake claims: officials Japanese say careful preparations saved them from quake
TECH SPACE Researchers Analyze Material With Colossal Ionic Conductivity Argonne Scientists Discover New Class Of Glassy Material Satgate Contracts Four Transponders At New SES ASTRA Orbital Position Scientist says feathers are future of Asia construction	ROBO SPACE Robo-relationships are virtually assured: British experts Europe And Japan Join Forces To Map Out Future Of Intelligent Robots NASA Robots Perform Well During Arctic Ice Deployment Testing Eight Teams Taking Up ESA's Lunar Robotics Challenge

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement