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Phoenix Mars Lander Deploys Robotic Arm, Possibly Finds Ice

The Phoenix Mars Lander has successfully deployed its robotic arm and tested other instruments including a laser designed to detect dust, clouds, and fog. The arm will be used to dig up samples of the Martian surface, which will be analyzed as a possible habitat for life. A camera on the arm will allow pictures to be taken of the ground directly beneath the lander. The camera has already seen what may be ice, which was exposed when the soil was disturbed by the landing. The data collected by the arm will be compared to recent findings which suggest that water on Mars may have been too salty for most known forms of life.

28 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Finally a solution for glbal warming by poeidon1 · · Score: 1, Funny

    United States is going to send shipments of ice from Mars to cool the warming caused by its gas guzzlers

    --
    They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me. -Nathaniel Lee
    1. Re:Finally a solution for glbal warming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Well, I wouldn't put it past our handsomest politicians.

  2. Could be, could not be... by lazy_nihilist · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lets wait for the test data to confirm if it is ice. For all we know it "could" be oil ;-)

    1. Re:Could be, could not be... by barzok · · Score: 4, Funny

      If it's oil, we'll need to invade, post-haste.

    2. Re:Could be, could not be... by AmigaMMC · · Score: 5, Funny

      If that was oil the US would plan a manned mission for next year. They'd send the marines claiming that the Martians were hiding weapons of mass destruction.

    3. Re:Could be, could not be... by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      scientist A: "Wow, that looks like frozen liquid. We found water, woohoo!"

      scientist B: "The spectrum shows it to contain strong acids and heavy metals."

      scientist A: "Yeah, we found strong acids and heavy metals on Mars!"

      scientist B: "The signature matches that of the lander battery fluid."

      scientist A: "Yay, we found leaky batteries on Mars, hurray we........oh fuck."

  3. The Red Planet by StaticEngine · · Score: 5, Funny

    Salty. Red. Once covered in liquid.

    It's clear to me that Mars was once a giant Bloody Mary for the gods. It's the only explanation that fits.

    I love science!

  4. Apologies to Mr. Bradbury... by Tastecicles · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...if they'd landed a couple kilometres to the West, they'd've landed in the middle of the town square...

    --
    Operation Guillotine is in effect.
  5. Re:Extremophiles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's life Jim, but not as we know it

  6. If NASA Wanted Ice . . . by hardburn · · Score: 4, Funny

    . . . I could have given them some.

    --
    Not a typewriter
  7. I heard Osama is hiding there. by Shturmovik · · Score: 0, Funny

    We should send Halliburton to investigate, immediately!

  8. Re:I only hope... by bjkinney · · Score: 5, Funny

    The lander actually has its own twitter page being written in the first person. Even it doesn't expect to last the winter. From http://twitter.com/MarsPhoenix

    "Martian winter will be tough. I don't think I will survive it, but if I wake up in Spring, I have a "Lazurus" mode and will phone home!" 10:29 PM May 26, 2008

  9. Robot Martians.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Most native Martians seem to be robotic immigrants....

  10. Granades! by alexborges · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why dont they put some granades on those robots so we can beat the shit out of those red-commie-martians?

    Hell, I bet they are ay-rabs as well with all that sand arround and all.

    Perhaps they have WMD's as well!

    And also, if a big hit as the landing "uncovered" ice, well the granades could be of certain scientific use....

    --
    NO SIG
  11. Re:"Most known forms of life"? by alexborges · · Score: 4, Funny

    Being a PolSci graduate does not make you a politician.

    It makes you, very probably, a pothead, a great guy to converse with.... and a somewhat disturbing character since youre posting on slashdot.

    Now "saying blatant things about science without knowing anything you talk about", THAT makes you a politician.

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    NO SIG
  12. Re:How is this news? by AmigaMMC · · Score: 2, Funny

    Without counting the fact that the Rovers don't have all the sensors necessary to perform the analysis that the Phoenix is doing, and they can't dig either. For the They just... rove :) For the most part they are digital cameras with wheels.

  13. Re:How is this news? by Vectronic · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh they are well aware of Opportunity, but dont have much Spirit, and even less Soul.

  14. Re:I only hope... by earthbound+kid · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have no idea why they write it in the first person like that. It's freaking creepy.

  15. Re:Extremophiles by AmigaMMC · · Score: 2, Funny
    "The scientists say that the handful of terrestrial halophiles"

    People who play too much on the Xbox?

  16. Re:I only hope... by mi · · Score: 2, Funny

    That would be nice, but in about 4 months it's going to be under a meter of frozen CO2.

    So I'm not holding my breath.

    I wish you did... If only we all held our breaths, maybe, there wouldn't be so much CO2 in the world :-(

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  17. Re:Extremophiles by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 2, Funny

    (God, I hate agreeing with someone who's got me marked as a foe. It's so... so... Un-Slashdotish, somehow.)

    Perhaps you should have appended "you insensitive clod!" to your post.

    --
    You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
  18. Re:I only hope... by flydude18 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It'll only get worse.

    "Ice is up to my solar panels now. So cold... so cold... Why haven't they come for me yet? They said they would. They promised. I know they will, I just need to hold out... a little... longer..."

  19. That reminds me of something... what was it? by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ah... it seems to me, Doolittle... Sorry, I've drawn a blank. Hold it. I'll have it again in a minute. I forget so many things in here, so many things. Hold on, just a minute, let me think...

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  20. Re:I only hope... by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hmmm, I suspect some Donner Party-esque desperation is inevitable. Next summer, we're going to have no rovers and one fat Phoenix.

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    I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  21. Re:How is this news? by dotgain · · Score: 2, Funny

    IMO it's still a landing if It was in accordance with the designated procedure for coming into contact with the land and surviving.

  22. Re:this is still not an excuse.. by dasmoo · · Score: 2, Funny

    obvious troll is obvious

  23. Re:How is this news? by TapeCutter · · Score: 4, Funny

    WA is just jealous because Mars gets more tourists than it does.

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  24. Re:I only hope... by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 2, Funny

    Last twitter entry:

    "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."

    --
    Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.