NASA's Sure: There's Water On Mars

Phoenix Spacecraft Confirms Suspicion By Scooping Up Ice In Soil, Melting It Into Water

(AP)  The Phoenix spacecraft has tasted Martian water for the first time, scientists reported Thursday.

By melting icy soil in one of its lab instruments, the robot confirmed the presence of frozen water lurking below the Martian permafrost. Until now, evidence of ice in Mars' north pole region has been largely circumstantial.

In 2002, the orbiting Odyssey spacecraft spied what looked like a reservoir of buried ice. After Phoenix arrived, it found what looked like ice in a hard patch underneath its landing site and changes in a trench indicated some ice had turned to gas when exposed to the sun.

Scientists popped open champagne when they received confirmation Wednesday that the soil contained ice.

"We've now finally touched it and tasted it," William Boynton of the University of Arizona said during a news conference in Tucson on Thursday. "From my standpoint, it tastes very fine."

Phoenix landed on Mars on May 25 on a three-month hunt to determine if it could support life. It is conducting experiments to learn whether the ice ever melted in the red planet's history that could have led to a more hospitable environment. It is also searching for the elusive organic-based compounds essential for simple life forms to emerge.

Other Mars missions have gathered clues that the planet was once warmer and wetter unlike the current desert conditions. Orbiting probes have found landforms such as gullies and canals that were likely carved by liquid water. Spacecraft on the surface have found evidence of ancient water by studying minerals in rocks. Phoenix is the first to touch ice and taste water by melting it.

The ice confirmation earlier this week was accidental. After two failed attempts to deliver ice-rich soil to one of Phoenix's eight lab ovens, researchers decided to collect pure soil instead. Surprisingly, the sample was mixed with a little bit of ice, said Boynton, who heads the oven instrument.

Researchers were able to prove the soil had ice in it because it melted in the oven at 32 degrees - the melting point of ice - and released water molecules. Plans called for baking the soil at even higher temperatures next week to sniff for carbon-based compounds.

The latest scientific finding is the first piece of good news for a mission that has been dogged by difficulties in recent weeks.

An electrical short on one of Phoenix's test ovens threatened the instrument, but scientists said the problem has not recurred. The lander, which spent the past several weeks drilling into the hard ice, also had trouble delivering ice shavings into an oven until the success this week.

NASA said Phoenix has achieved minimum success thus far. The space agency on Thursday announced that it would extend the mission for an extra five weeks until the end of September, adding $2 million more to the $420 million price tag, said Michael Meyer, Mars chief scientist at NASA headquarters.

Unlike the twin rovers roaming near the Martian equator, Phoenix's lifetime cannot be extended much more because it likely won't have enough power to survive the Martian winter

The science team also released a color panorama of Phoenix's landing site using more than 400 images taken by Phoenix. The view "was painstakingly stitched together," said Mark Lemmon of Texas A&M University, who headed the effort.

The portrait revealed a Martian surface that was coated with dust and dotted with rocks.

[pvperson]

1600 comments on whether McCain or Obama played the race card but none here. Tells you where the American mind or lack there of , is. Sad. But let a scientist claim they found life and watch the circus.

[vnveteran72]

Well, with this news, how long will it be before the first McDonalds and Walmart Superstore are erected???

[haoli25]

I''m taking my Scoresby and headed for Mars!

[sistatee-2009]

By all means, let''s spend $50 billion and go to Mars for a stinking drink of water. Screw the science and all the other BS. We need the money HERE!

[mtdew101]

This will be our next planet for the human race to destroy

[sandy777-2009]

I wonder if they will explore for oil? We sure could use more oil and maybe the price of gas will go down.

[pensacola88]

This finding is truly proof of a major stepping stone towards proving the existance of life''s building blocks on other planets, or asteroids.

A meteorite found in Antartica in the ''80''s was found to have fossilized bacteria, but it was believed that it did not come from earth, but instead, from Mars.

The meteorite was a pathway to propel studies and research, because the composition was different and radio astronomy showed the elements were more of a match with Mars than anything else. Calibrating without samples made radio astronomy barely advantageous, but with a known sample, advanced us lightyears ahead.

Our approach for finding answers about life on other worlds is pragmatic an methodical. Unmanned Space Exploration yeilds much more scientific data for the dollar over the manned space program.

[toolmangler-2009]

1600 comments on whether McCain or Obama played the race card but none here.

Posted by PVperson at 08:31 PM : Jul 31, 2008


The only ones that care about the race card are activists anyway.

[trishab4]

This will be our next planet for the human race to destroy
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Posted by mtdew101 at 08:48 PM : Jul 31, 2008

-It''s no ours. It''s Martians''. LOL!

[denn034]

Water has also been found on comets and we know they can''t sustain life so, the mere presence of water doesn''t necessarily prove that it once sustained life.

[wogerwabbit]

we couldn''t have some links to the pictures? hello, this is the Internet.

[noaanhc]

This will be our next planet for the human race
to destroy.

Posted by mtdew101

I think before that happens,the litle Martian man from the Bugs Bunny cartoons who lives there will use his Aluminum PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator weapon to
destroy Earth.

Ha Ha!!!!

[tawpdawg111]

lets go swimmin''! Last one in is a rotten egg!

[trishab4]

lets go swimmin''''! Last one in is a rotten egg!
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Posted by Tawpdawg111 at 10:52 PM : Jul 31, 2008

-Gotta heat it a bit before we all jump in!

[heero2020]

That''s great. We have plenty of water on earth too. Is there any Oil on Mars?

[timdgrim]

OK..there''s water on Mars, now let''s send a whole bunch of bread up there along with Dubya DumbA$$ and Devil D*ck and they can be the Jester and the King of Mars! Look for oil while you''re up there and get back to us in 20 years.

[andor3]

Wow very impressive. And in perspective, a great achievement for very little money spent.

I am happy to see my tax dollars spent this way. Lets double NASAs budget for unmanned space science and tell the military to scrap some of its wasteful programs next year.

[daysrnumbrd]

Water on Mars?

Quick! Someone send in Wall-E to clean it up!

[daysrnumbrd]

Water on Mars?

Okay... who spilled it?!

[daysrnumbrd]

Water --- A natural substance that allows life to begin.

Oil --- A natural substance that causes lives to end.

[oneworldusa]

$420 million could go a long way towards feeding people during the upcoming depression.

[andor3]

"$420 million could go a long way towards feeding people during the upcoming depression."

Inspiring people is at least as important as feeding them. And that money went to pay a lot of salaries and support a lot of businesses. We need to spend more this way!

[daysrnumbrd]

"$420 million could go a long way towards feeding people during the upcoming depression."

Inspiring people is at least as important as feeding them. And that money went to pay a lot of salaries and support a lot of businesses. We need to spend more this way!

Posted by andor3 at 12:51 AM : Aug 01, 2008
................

Agreed. And besides...

...$420 million is less than one day of occupation in Iraq!

[spadeisspade]

Ok, at what point will we declare war on Mars?

[arrestbush1]

What''s really going on here? Stories about water being on Mars is obviously just another useless story to make us read useless *** that isn''t any help to us at all. Instead the media should be reporting real stories that actually have to do what''s happening on the planet we live on since a lot goes on here on planet earth everyday. I don''t care if it rains pepsi on mars, we should be focused on problems here at home. Geeze

[l8c6]

There''''s Water On Mars

and cheney would say =so

Posted by rharrin1

Or rather get a no bid contract for Haliburton to extract future resources from this taxpayer funded discover. Neo con capitalists, privatizing profits and socializing the losses, burdens and expenses evading them for themselves.

[smurfcrusher]

This is hugely important.

The fact that Mars has water, mineral soil adequate for Terrestrial vegetation, and abundant iron oxide means there are no deal breakers for eventual large-scale colonization on Mars.

A nuclear power source would supply heat and electrical energy for electrolysis, making oxygen to breathe (much like a nuclear submarine), robotic landers can also use solar power initially to electrolyze and compress hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel, and iron ore can be smelted for structures, tools, and equipment.

This has huge implications for us!!

[guadalcanal3]

arrestbush1...Please...You''re being absolutely ridiculous...CBS News is certainly no slouch when it come to reporting all the "important" things that man does on this planet like wars,crime, and "Hollywood"..What''s your problem?...You don''t like "good news?"....Maybe you should stick to the tabloids....and leave the rest of us "dreamers" to our happy and "hopeful" news....other than that....GREAT JOB NASA AND JPL!...KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!

[downtowner97]

Yeah, there''s ice on Mars. There''s also ice on Europa and Ganymede, and Hale Bopp, and Haley''s and probably even on our moon. I feel the water discovery on Mars was made when we saw canyons eroded by...what else could it be?

[stn_sage]

This may be news to the public, but it''s not news to NASA, they already knew.

[adfolder]

So, what''s your point?

[jediservant]

The significance of this is that it will prove life was created. We will find water and the organic-based compounds needed for life on Mars but we won%u2019t find life.

[gmond]

Let''s go swimming!

[yeswecan09]

*we couldn''''t have some links to the pictures? hello, this is the Internet. *

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html

Got to love science!

[yeswecan09]

*What''''s really going on here? Stories about water being on Mars is obviously just another useless story to make us read useless *** that isn''''t any help to us at all. Instead the media should be reporting real stories that actually have to do what''''s happening on the planet we live on since a lot goes on here on planet earth everyday. I don''''t care if it rains pepsi on mars, we should be focused on problems here at home. Geeze*


We have to disagree -- I find the need to explore much more exciting than sitting down in a room full of people saying "So, Mr. Jones, why are you so angry?"

[fstop100]

So....what does that mean to me?

[ogspics]

Meanwhile...Back On Earth!
Check out the giant crater in the western quarter of the united states.
Go to the mapquest satellite viewer and use the aerial mode to view the western united states. Zoom to the third level from the bottom. Check the labels box.
Now, look at where Boise, Idaho is located. Just north east of Boise is a very large impact recoil peak. There is another recoil peak a little further north west of Boise/northeast of Baker City Oregon. Uncheck the labels box and look at the map without the roads, etc. Look carefully at the area to the east, over to the area of yellowstone park and the northwest corner of Wyoming.
To the north and south of the Yellowstone area, the crater rim is readily visible.

Follow the arc of the crater rim south.. to the south west, up to the north along the western Cascade Mountains up through Washington and then eastward around the canada border and on down south to reconnect back at the Yellowstone area. The crater rim here appears to have been affected by Yellowstone caldera activity.
See the big impact crater. About 1000 miles in diameter. A little further south, at the "four corners" area; check out the super volcano!
I made these discoveries while searching for the source of the destruction of this forest in South Dakota Black Hills. Cost... way less than a million dollars.
www.beholdgiants.com

[pollroller1]

Gosh Toto, I don''t think we are in Kansas anymore.

[yeswecan09]

*So....what does that mean to me?*

That depends on you exactly, does your job have some tie-ins? Perhaps your job supplies the gold plating used on the Phoenix? Or perhaps you work on the HEPA filters that keep NASA''s clean room free of dust?

Or, does the exploration touch your imagination, and make you wonder is there some type of bacteria living in that water? If there is water perhaps there is life crawling around?

Or will your sons or daughters be the ones who put their footprints on Mars? When they go, they will use the water for myriad reasons; it will be much easier than lugging the water with them.

[fstop100]

To yeswecan09: We can''t go to mars.

Marvin will get very mad and then blast the earth with his modulator!

Plus why would we want to?

[barbaraf4]

"NASA''s Sure: There''s Water On Mars"

But is it potable? How can we be sure we havn''t tapped into a sewage treatment pond that was used by the Martians before their mad scientists got greedy and spent all their resources on trying to get to Earth?

[yeswecan09]

*To yeswecan09: We can''''t go to mars.

*Marvin will get very mad and then blast the earth with his modulator!

*Plus why would we want to?

I know for me the exploration of the planets is absolutely fascinating; how much is out there that we really don''t know? Every question we answer only lets us ask more questions.

If you want to get to a more financial aspect (considering the economy) a dedicated goal of exploration can create jobs in the quick run. Say we have a 10 year project to put a robot in the ice on Mars; to make the job work we will need scientist of all types, engineers of all types, technicans of all types, and support staff of thousands who keep the computers running to the janitors who keep the sterile rooms, sterile.

For 10 years thousands of people will have jobs to pay their current bills, but most of all the things they learn at this job, can create new jobs. One quick example: my brother-in-law started working as a janitor and one of his jobs was replacing HEPA filters, he found it so amazing that now he travels the east coast of the US replacing the filter systems for hospital operating rooms; he also quadrupled his salary. He also now works with those filters for government installations.

Hope this helps some!

[ubrew12]

"We''ve now finally touched it and tasted it," William Boynton of the University of Arizona said during a news conference in Tucson on Thursday. "From my standpoint, it tastes very fine."

Two neadertahls trek through the Siberian ice. One spots something brown on the ice, and the following interchange between them occurs: ''Look!'', ''Huh?'', ''Look!'', ''(he looks) look like sh*t!'', ''ugh...Smell!'', ''Huh?'', ''SMELL!'', ''Aww...{sniff}...UGH!... Smell like Sh*t!'', ''ugh..Taste!'', ''HUH?'', ''TASTE!! Taste, taste!'', ''Aww..{he eats some}.. UGH!... Taste like SH*T!!'', ''ugh! (satisfied, they moves on)..

sure glad we didn''t step in it...''

[voidmaster-2009]

I am less concerned about finding life or fossils on Mars and more concerned about its colonial potential.

[voidmaster-2009]

it will be much easier than lugging the water with them.

Posted by yeswecan09

***

For long-term habitation, lugging it with them is not even a viable option.

[newsjunky5]

Oh no. Now NASA has to worry about Phoenix slipping on the ice and bumping its processor.

[fstop100]

How long before we pollute it?

[rushlimpdrug]

"NASA''s Sure: There''s Water On Mars"

Oh great, I will mark it on my roadmap.

What is the exit?

I''m getting thirsty.

Do they have donuts there also?

[element51]

yeswecan09....Good post. And you are right. There will be a potential for many jobs. Jobs that will go to insourced workers from India and China. And there will be jobs created for overseas workers too. Good for them. But American workers will continue to compete for jobs at McDonalds and Burger King. I hope that whoever is elected can get a handle on this outsourcing of our jobs but I''m doubtful. But your post was a good one.

[element51]

I hear that there''s a possibility of Oil on Mars but those dam democrats won''t let the oil companies drill.