MARS IS ALL WET

Well, not all wet, but (after about 67 days on the surface of the planet) lab tests on board Phoenix have confirmed water-ice two inches below the surface of Mars, and a panoramic image indicates water-ice all around.

Latest results:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/news/phoenix-20080731.html

PHOENIX HAS LANDED!

A raw, unprocessed image of Mars
taken by Phoenix shortly after arrival on Mars...From NASA

Phoenix has landed on Mars. Launched in August, Phoenix used parachutes and reverse rockets to slow its decent to a solid landing on the North Polar, Arctic region of Mars.

Previous studies have shown the strong likelihood of a layer of H20-ice possibly as close as an inch below the surface. Phoenix is designed to dig into the surface and study the frozen water that it hopes to find there (including the possibility of organic material in the ice). Other experiments on Phoenix will measure moisture, dust and other meteorological properties of the atmosphere.

http://www.nasa.gov/