apod
06-15-08, 04:31 PM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/armpanels_phoenix.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/armpanels_phoenix_big.jpg) Phoenix Digs for Clues on Mars
Credit: Phoenix Mission Team (http://fawkes4.lpl.arizona.edu/index.php), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/), JPL-Caltech (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), U. Arizona (http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/), Texas A&M University (http://geosciences.tamu.edu/)
Explanation: What's a good recipe for preparing Martian soil? Start by filling your robot's scoop a bit less than half way. Next, dump your Martian soil into one of your TEGA (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science_tega.php) ovens, being sure to watch out for clumping (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/06_08_pr.php). Then, slowly increase the temperature to over 1000 degrees Celsius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius) over several days. Keep checking to see when your soil becomes vaporized (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCtdW_BDuVI). Finally, your Martian soil (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071218.html) is not ready for eating, but rather sniffing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_spectrometer) The above technique is being used by the Phoenix Lander (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html) that arrived (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080525.html) on Mars three weeks ago (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080527.html). Data from the first batch of baked soil should be available in a few days. Pictured above (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=4865&cID=69), a circular array of the Phoenix Lander's solar panels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel) are visible on the left, while a scoop partly filled with Martian soil is visible on the right. The robotic Phoenix Lander (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/pdf/fact_sheet.pdf) will spend much of the next three months digging, scooping, baking, sniffing, zapping, dissolving, and magnifying bits of Mars to help neighboring Earthl (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061001.html)ings learn more about the hydrologic and biologic possibilities of the sometimes mysterious (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010331.html) red planet.
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080615.html)
Credit: Phoenix Mission Team (http://fawkes4.lpl.arizona.edu/index.php), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/), JPL-Caltech (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), U. Arizona (http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/), Texas A&M University (http://geosciences.tamu.edu/)
Explanation: What's a good recipe for preparing Martian soil? Start by filling your robot's scoop a bit less than half way. Next, dump your Martian soil into one of your TEGA (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science_tega.php) ovens, being sure to watch out for clumping (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/06_08_pr.php). Then, slowly increase the temperature to over 1000 degrees Celsius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celsius) over several days. Keep checking to see when your soil becomes vaporized (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCtdW_BDuVI). Finally, your Martian soil (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071218.html) is not ready for eating, but rather sniffing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_spectrometer) The above technique is being used by the Phoenix Lander (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html) that arrived (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080525.html) on Mars three weeks ago (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080527.html). Data from the first batch of baked soil should be available in a few days. Pictured above (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=4865&cID=69), a circular array of the Phoenix Lander's solar panels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel) are visible on the left, while a scoop partly filled with Martian soil is visible on the right. The robotic Phoenix Lander (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/pdf/fact_sheet.pdf) will spend much of the next three months digging, scooping, baking, sniffing, zapping, dissolving, and magnifying bits of Mars to help neighboring Earthl (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061001.html)ings learn more about the hydrologic and biologic possibilities of the sometimes mysterious (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010331.html) red planet.
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080615.html)