Truth about life on Mars moves closer as water found in soil sample

Published on Friday 1 August 2008 02:05

NASA's Phoenix lander spacecraft has for the first time identified water in a sample of soil collected from the surface of Mars.

Scientists will now begin studying the sample to see whether the planet was ever, or is, habitable. The craft previously had problems transferring samples from its robotic arm to the onboard lab for analysis.

This is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted, William Boynton, lead scientist, said yesterday in Tucson, Arizona.

He added: "We're looking to understand the history of the ice, by trying to figure out if this ice has ever melted, and through melting has created a liquid environment that modifies soil. We're just getting the data back.

"Through this we also hope to resolve questions (such as] is this a habitable zone on Mars, meaning that we have periodic liquid water, materials that are the basic ingredients for life forms?"

The scientists said they had yet to find organic materials in the sample and stressed that it would take three to four weeks for the data to be analysed.