Dispatch from Mars, Sol 4
Lander's touchdown may have exposed underlying ice
By Ron Cowen
It was a good news/bad news day on Mars Thursday, with a tentative sighting of ice by the Mars Phoenix Lander, but also a newly discovered glitch in the oven system that will analyze soil samples.
Scientists reported the findings during a May 30 briefing about the lander’s fourth day (or Sol, for Mars time) on Mars. Phoenix has been parked on the planet’s chilly northern plains since its successful landing May 25.
Flexing its muscles for the first time, the robotic arm on Phoenix took an image of exposed material beneath the lander that is either rock or ice. The material was probably brought to the surface when exhaust from the craft’s descent thruster blew away topsoil.