7 is lucky number for Phoenix Mars Lander

William Atkins
Thursday, 12 June 2008 18:50

Science - Space

University of Arizona professor William Boynton, who is involved with experiments performed in the TEGA oven, stated, "When I announced that the (vibrating) process had terminated early because the oven was full of dirt, the group just went up into cheers. I got a standing ovation and started playing some 'Shake Shake Shake' music and just had a good time.” [New Scientist (subscription required): “Martian soil falls into Phoenix oven at last”]

The oven is part of the instrument called the “Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer,” or TEGA.

Boynton, stated "The dirt finally did start to flow, and we actually got a full oven. So that problem is now behind us." [Space.com: “Mars Soil Sample Finally Delivered to Phoenix Instrument”]

Phoenix send back data verifying that the oven contains sufficient soil to conduct its first experiment of its mission. The scientists state that the next step is to seal the oven, heat the soil inside, and then to measure the amount of water that evaporates off—in order to verify the composition of the soil.

Images related to these Wednesday activities are found on the University of Arizona website “NASA’s Phoenix Lander Has An Oven Full of Martian Soil.”

Associated Press science writer Alicia Chang describes the Martian soil as “crusty on the surface” and “looser below.” [WTOPnews.com: “Mars lander fills test oven with pinch of soil”]

The Phoenix scientists find it unlike anything they have studied on Earth. University of Arizona professor Peter Smith, the leader (principal investigator) of the Phoenix mission, adds, "It's apparently a very sticky material, too.” [WTOPnews.com]

Hopefully, with this success the scientists can now proceed with their investigation of the physical and chemical properties of the Martian soil. They hope to learn if the soil on Mars might have some time in the past contained microbial life.