Article: NASA's Phoenix Mars lander puts soil in chemistry lab

NASA's Phoenix Mars lander puts soil in chemistry lab

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- NASA's Phoenix Mars lander placed a sample of Martian soil in the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory on Wednesday for the first time after landing, the U.S. space agency said.

Results from that instrument, part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, are expected to provide the first measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the planet's soil, said NASA's Phoenix science team.

The analysis of this soil sample and others will help researchers determine whether ice beneath the soil ever has melted, and whether the soil has other qualities favorable for life.

The Phoenix ...

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