Martian Chemistry

NASA Mars Phoenix Spacecraft Analyzing Martian Soil Data

“Within the last month, two samples have been analyzed by the Wet Chemistry Lab of the spacecraft’s Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer, or MECA, suggesting one of the soil constituents may be perchlorate, a highly oxidizing substance.”

Editor’s note: Heads up NASA PAO: This press release says: “perchlorate, a highly oxidizing substance”. Shouldn’t that actually read “perchlorate, a (highly?) oxidized substance”? There is a difference between the two terms – and this release is all about science after all…