News From Mars: Soil Less Earth-like Than Thought

NASA Mars Phoenix Data More Negative On Potential For Life, Aviation Week & Space Technology

“NASA will announce today that new data from the Phoenix Mars lander indicate that it is looking less conclusive that soil analyzed by the lander’s soil chemistry experiment is Earth-like and can support life.

An initial soil test by the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) instrument indicated that the soil is highly Earth-like. The second test, however, is leading scientists to view the data as more inconclusive.”

NASA: Reports of Martian-Life Announcement ‘Bogus’, Fox

“Note the [Aviation Week] story said very, very clearly three times or so, NO life on Mars detected and Phoenix can NOT [detect life] in the first place,” Covault wrote in an e-mail.”

NASA Phoenix Lander Spacecraft Analyzing Martian Soil Data, NASA

“Scientists are analyzing results from soil samples delivered several weeks ago to science instruments on NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander to understand the landing site’s soil chemistry and mineralogy.”

NASA’s Mars News Is Not Life, But Perchlorate, Slashdot

“In an update to the little green men story of not-life-on-Mars, NASA has twittered: ‘The buzz this weekend was due to an interesting soil chemistry finding, still preliminary, but now avail here:’ where ‘here’ is NASA Spacecraft Analyzing Martian Soil Data. The exciting bit: ‘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.