Martian dig delayed

Phoenix’s robotic arm will wait at least a day to search for ice

After its successful May 25 landing on Mars, the Mars Phoenix Lander remained in good health on the Red Planet’s northern plains. But plans to unlatch and flex the craft’s robotic arm — designed to dig for possible ice under the hard soil — are now delayed for at least another day because a radio transmitter on a spacecraft flying overhead failed to deliver commands to the Lander.