'œHoly Cow!' Martian ice just under Phoenix

William Atkins
Sunday, 01 June 2008 18:58

Science - Space

University of Arizona scientists with the NASA Phoenix Mars Lander have photo-evidence that the spacecraft landed on top of a flat, gleaming layer of ice that was only inches below the Martian surface. They call is “absolutely astounding.”

NASA is reporting that mission controllers at the University of Arizona have photographed a shiny layer of ice located directly below the Lander itself.

Peter Smith, who is leading the University of Arizona team, exclaimed on Friday, May 31, 2008, at a news conference, “It's the consensus of all of us that we have found ice. It's shiny and smooth - it's absolutely astounding!" [San Francisco Chronicle: “Mars probe appears to have landed atop ice”]

Smith elaborated further with a cautionary view, “It's not impossible that it's something else, but our leading interpretation is ice. We are looking at an extended table of ice." [San Francisco Chronicle]

The discovery was made as a byproduct of the spacecraft's final descent onto the surface of Mars on Sunday, May 25, 2008. During the last few seconds before touchdown, twelve thrusts were fired from the Lander to slow it down enough to accomplish a safe landing on the planet.

NASA’s Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars called Vastitas Borealis, within a broad, flat valley.

The exhaust produced from the blast blew away three to six inches (7.5 to 15.0 centimeters) of the soil under the final landing spot of Phoenix. With the topsoil gone, the ice, around three feet (about one meter) in diameter, was exposed near one of the three landing pods of the Lander, along with course soil remaining after the finer dirt was blown away.

The ice was photographed on Saturday, May 31st, by a camera mounted on the end of the robotic arm of Phoenix. The close-up black-and-white image showed clear evidence of ice. A color photograph was also taken of the ice, but has yet to be released. It may add further evidence for the presence of ice.

Horst Uwe Keller, the lead scientist controlling the camera mounted on the robotic arm, stated, "This suggests we have an ice table under a thin layer of loose soil.” [CNN: "Pictures boost hopes for Mars ice discovery"]

The camera was developed by Keller’s team at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany.

The image of the patch of ice appears on the CNN website.

This discovery is an important advance to the exploration of Mars by the Phoenix Lander. Please read on for further information on Martian ice and its role as "a great preserver" on Mars.