Phoenix lander scoops up first sample of Mars dirt

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Phoenix lander has scooped up its first, cup-sized sample of Martian dirt for analysis, kicking off the spacecraft's primary science mission of searching for water or signs of life on the Red Planet.

The small sample includes a large Martian dirt clod crusted with white matter that intrigues NASA scientists because they believe it could be salt left behind by evaporated water or ice.

The soil was scraped from the surface of Mars by the lander's robotic arm on Thursday and will be deposited into the craft's Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) for study over the next week or so.

"This is a really important occasion for us," Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith said at a briefing for reporters. "We are very curious whether the ice we think is just under the surface has melted and modified the soil."

The analysis will allow scientists to determine how much water is in the soil and what minerals make up the dirt at the arctic circle of Mars, where Phoenix touched down on May 25.

"Salt would be very interesting because that's what is left behind as water evaporates. That would be a very nice discovery, particularly if we knew exactly which salts they were," Smith said.

"This looks like a really good sample for us. TEGA's instruments are particularly sensitive to any water getting into the oven."

'RARING TO GO'