Water on Mars!

Nasa's Phoenix lander spacecraft has for the first time identified water in a sample of soil collected from the planet's surface.

Scientists will now be able to begin studying the sample to see whether the planet was ever, or is, habitable.

The craft previously had problems transferring samples from its robotic arm to the onboard lab for analysis.

The success and the good condition of the craft mean the mission will be extended until the end of September.


This is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted
William Boynton, mission scientist

Since it touched down on 25 June, the Phoenix lander has been studying the surface of Mars to investigate whether it has ever been capable of supporting life.

It has been studying soil with a chemistry laboratory, an oven called TEGA (Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer instrument), a microscope, a probe and cameras.

Scientists told a press conference at the University of Arizona in Tucson that the planet had so far "proved itself to be interesting".

"We've seen evidence for this water-ice before in observations by the Mars Odyssey orbiter and in disappearing chunks observed by Phoenix last month, but this is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted," William Boynton, one of the researchers on the mission, explained.

hussey wrote: »

Here is a picture from the NASA website
it is really mindblowing
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0504/WaterOnMars2_gcc.jpg

But i thought the water was frozen:P