spacetoday.net: Mars soil finally reaches Phoenix oven

Mars soil finally reaches Phoenix oven

Posted: Thu, Jun 12, 2008, 7:11 AM ET (1111 GMT)
Phoenix Mars lander illustration (Univ. of Arizona)

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spacecraft was finally able to shake enough soil from a sample collected last week to fill an experiment oven within the spacecraft, project scientists said Wednesday. The soil sample was delivered to a screen covering one of eight sample ovens on Phoenix on Friday; the screen is designed to allow only fine grains of soil through to the experiment. However, the clumpiness of the soil prevented any grains from passing through the screen. After several periods of vibrating the screen, scientists said that the oven finally filled with material on Wednesday. The ovens will heat the soil to look for water and other volatile components.