Phoenix Sends Back More Mars Images
NASA Explorer In Good Shape Except For One Snag
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This image provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona shows a view of Martian northern polar region made by the Surface Stereo Imager Right on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. (AP/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Az.)
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This photo provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona, shows a polygonal pattern in the ground near NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. This is an approximate-color image taken shortly after landing Sunday by the spacecraft's Surface Stereo Imager. (AP/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Az.)
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This artist's rendering shows the Phoenix Lander on the surface of Mars. (AP Photo/NASA, JPL, Lockheed Martin)
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This photo provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona shows NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander suspended from its parachute as it lands on Mars on Sunday May 25, 2008 as seen by a telescopic camera in orbit. (AP/NASA/Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)
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Play CBS Video
Video
NASA Probe Lands On Mars
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander touched down on the Red Planet, dazzling scientists with the first-ever glimpses of its northern region. Ben Tracy reports.
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Video
The Phoenix Has Landed
The Mars lander will dig for ice and look for organic compounds. This will help scientists determine the habitability of our neighbor in space. Andrea Stassou reports.
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NASA Mars Landing Animation
"CBS News RAW": NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will begin a three month mission exploring the soils and ice of the red planet. This exclusive animated video details the landing of the probe.
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Photo Essay
Phoenix Arrives On Mars
NASA's mission to study water under the Martian surface off to solid start.
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Photo Essay
Mars Exploration Rovers
NASA's Opportunity and Spirit rovers beam back images from Mars.
The one snag on the lander occurred when the protective sheath around the trench-digging robotic arm failed to unwrap all the way after touchdown and now covers the arm's elbow joint.
Deputy project scientist Deborah Bass of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said scientists still planned to move the arm Tuesday, but it could take an extra day to fully stretch it.
"I would say this is an inconvenience," Bass said Monday.
Since landing on Mars on Sunday, Phoenix has delighted scientists with the first-ever peek of the planet's unexplored northern latitudes. The terrain where Phoenix settled is relatively flat with polygon-shaped patterns in the ground likely caused by the expansion and contraction of underground ice.
Phoenix will dig into the soil using its 8-foot-long arm to reach the ice believed to be buried inches to a foot deep.
The lander will study whether the site could have supported primitive life. Among the things it will look for is whether the ice melted in Mars' history and whether the soil samples contain traces of organic compounds, one of the building blocks of life.
Phoenix landed on Mars after a 10-month, 422 million-mile journey. After a week checking out its science instruments, the lander will begin a 90-day digging mission to study whether the northern polar region possesses the raw ingredients needed for life to emerge.
"Life as we know it requires water and it requires organic compounds - the chemicals that make our cells work," says CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood. "Where the Phoenix is, they're pretty sure there's ice there under the surface. There may be organic compounds and if there are, then you really have an environment that could support life - either in the past or even in the present day."

Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory said the camera aboard Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken many unique pictures of Mars, but "this one's really unique."
"This will be on my Top 10 list," said McEwen, who operates the orbiter's camera. "
The $420 million Phoenix mission is led by University of Arizona, Tucson and managed by JPL. Unlike the twin rovers, which have been operating near the Martian equator since 2004, Phoenix has a limited lifetime. Winter will set in later this year at its landing site and likely will cover the lander with frost.
For more information visit NASA's Phoenix mission Web site, and the mission pages at the University of Arizona.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



NASA is sucking up tax dollars while Americans are losing their jobs.
It should be abolished.
Posted by fstop100
You''re kidding right? You can''t think of worse places our money is being sucked up?
Big science is something only the federal government can do and it is an economic stimulus.
If NASA did not get Legal Permits from the Mars Authority to Dig and they rupture a gas, cable or power line then somebody is going to foot the bill and the person who instructed the lander to dig on Mars without authorization needs to be fired. I am SURE NASA does not have a permit to dig on Mars.
Posted by jyates99 at 01:44 PM : May 27, 2008
Oh it will help many--that''s where Bush, Cheney Rice and the rest of them will be next Feb--that little thing is digging their hole!
As for the cost- This mission cost every man, woman, and child in the US about $1.50. The Iraq war cost (so far) $2,000 for EVERY man, woman, and child. $8,000 for a family of 4 - SO FAR.
Posted by demslie at 03:22 PM : May 27, 2008
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You''re such a stupid dumass. You make it up as you go along now. Remember, it was a DEMOCRAT that started us on the road to the moon you goofy wingnut.
I know the knuckle-draggers would have us stop all science and refer to the Bible for all scientific knowledge, but it is not going to happen.
HELLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OUT THERE.... These projects are planned YEARS ahead of time. Sometimes decades ahead of time. I dunno about you, but it seems to me the economy was in GREAT shape about 10 years ago.
In addition, exploration of other worlds eventually will lead to the survival of the human race. But, yes, i know... most people of the world are only concerned about their miniscule solitary existence... who cares what future generations will have to put up with.
With all that said.... i think if we stop spending $$ on war and fighting and just spent it on the people of the US, we''ll be FAR BETTER OFF.
Posted by demslie"
Who says these negative posts are coming from democrats? Just another delusional assumption to meet your political agenda.
"Does it put money in my pocket, Today?"
Posted by demslie
You delusional accusations are backwards, again to meet your political agenda. It''s the Bushies and neocons who "need" money in their pockets. They are the ones who would end the program because it gives them no personal and immediate gain.
Welcome to the brain disorder known as liberalism.
i.e. Oil
(M)ore (A)merican (R)esources (S)quandered
NASA is sucking up tax dollars while Americans are losing their jobs.
It should be abolished."-- Posted by fstop100
And so putting 70% of the scientific aerospace community out of work is an economic stimulus?
You might not like hearing it, but the dismantling of NASA would destroy this country. New technologies developed by other countries would be theirs and not ours. Private enterprise does not have the ability, nor the desire, to spend 500 million on a probe. They have the ability to *capitalize* on the information once it is acquired.
If you want the Chinese running the world- defund NASA.
95 Freakin'' Percent CO2!!!!
The Earth''s atmosphere is not even 1/10th of 1 percent CO2 (That''s 0.038 CO2 on Earth compared to 95.0 CO2 for Mars)
So if CO2 is such a POWERFUL GLOBAL WARMING GAS, and if a TINY INCREASE will destroy us all, why isn''t Mars an OVEN then?
Will you Algore Guppies please answer that?
Consider yourself a little more educated now, sir.
If. There are a lot of if''s in the universe. What you state is theory. If you Al gore puppies would look at the evolution of our world, you will see a tropical age, an ice age, etc. Its called weather cycles.
Oh yes, what happened to the terror over the ozone hole, we were all going to die from skin cancer because of it. Al''s getting richer leading you around, hes laughing all the way to the bank.
Posted by btree50
We passed laws banning the fluorochemicals that were exacerbating the ozone hole - remember?? The hole is still there, but it''s under control. Industry said we wouldn''t have air conditioning or refrigeration without these materials. We don''t have CFC''s any more, seems like we do still have air conditioning. Amazing what a little incentive will do.
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by rottenruss1
May 29, 2008 11:51 AM PDT
- Perhaps we can defund NASA and spend more money on Hollywood producing "Docudramas" that are Liberal interpretations of what ignorant people should believe? Please don''t revisit cheap Atomic power . . .Let''s spend money on hydrogen, since it is less efficient than oil.
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