NASA's
Phoenix Mars Lander delivered a second sample of Martian dirt to its onboard
wet chemistry laboratory, NASA officials said Monday.
Data beamed
back to Earth on Sunday night confirmed that Phoenix's
robotic arm had successfully delivered the sample to the instrument, which
tests the composition of the dirt by mixing it with water in one of four
teacup-sized beakers.
Results
from testing this sample will be compared to results from the first sample
analyzed by the wet chemistry laboratory two weeks ago. That laboratory is part
of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA).
The results
for the first
wet chemistry test suggested that the Martian regolith contained several
soluble minerals necessary for life, including potassium, magnesium and
chloride.
The main
activity on the lander's schedule for Monday was testing a method for scraping
up a sample of icy material and getting it into the scoop at the end of the robotic
arm. On June 26, Phoenix scraped down to the subsurface icy layer in the "Wonderland"
digging area and used a rasp to shave
off some samples for later testing, but no material was actually in the
scoop.
Phoenix will take images before, during and
after testing the sample scooping method to evaluate how well it works. If the
test goes well, the science team plans to use this method for gathering the
next sample to be delivered to the lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer
(TEGA), which bakes samples and analyzes the vapors they give off.
A short
circuit last month in one of TEGA's ovens could happen again when the
instrument is turned back on, so Phoenix mission scientists will treat the next
TEGA sample delivery as if it will be the last.
The $420
million mission landed on May 25 and is expected to operate for about three
months (90 Martian days).
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