 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Professor Plays Vital Role In Mars Water Breakthrough
Pasadena CA (SPX) Aug 11, 2008 NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has recently confirmed what space scientists have suspected for a long time: There is water on Mars. UT Dallas Physics Professor John Hoffman, a member of the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, is at the center of the discovery. Hoffman's mass spectrometer is the system that analyzed gases from soil samples, the step needed to prove the existence of water. The Lander's robotic arm has been digging in a number of places within reach of the stationary lander. The sites of interest have been given Disney character names, like "Mama Bear, Baby Bear, Goldilocks, and Snow White trench." To make the analysis, soil samples from a trench 2 inches deep were heated in furnaces aboard the Phoenix Mars Lander. A number of measurements showed the presence of water in the sample as it was heated from -10 C up past the melting point of ice (0 degrees C). The measurements that determined the presence of water included the: + Energy input to the oven that was required to melt the ice. + Increase of gas pressure in the oven as the ice turned into water vapor. + Readings from Hoffman's spectrometer. "I am very pleased that we were able to identify the ice as actually being frozen water," Hoffman said. "I'm also looking forward to other discoveries that we might make in the surface materials of Mars." The Phoenix Lander's reliability and longevity, not to mention its recent discovery of water, prompted NASA to extend the Lander's mission by five weeks. The original mission, slated for 90 days, was set to end in late August. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links UT Dallas Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com Lunar Dreams and more
Soil Studies Continue At Site Of Phoenix Mars Lander
Tucson AZ (SPX) Aug 11, 2008NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has continued studies of its landing site by widening a trench, making overnight measurements of conductivity in the Martian soil and depositing a sample of surface soil into a gap between partially opened doors to an analytical oven on the lander. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement |
