The Phoenix mission's most dramatic achievement so far has been touching martian water ice. Mission investigators are now trying to decode the mysteries of alien dirt. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, mission robotic arm co-investigator, comments.

References:

1. Aug. 8, 2008 — Phoenix's Water May Be Gumming Up the Works in the Science Magazine

Mars Lander mission controllers have been living on its schedule, or rather the exact opposite of it. When the spacecraft is sleeping during the Martian night, the scientists are up analyzing data; when the spacecraft rises at the beginning of the day on Mars, they retire and let Phoenix do its work.Mars' day is 40 minutes longer than Earth's, and the start of the Martian day is always changing with respect to Earth time, as a result of their respective orbital motions. Reserachers essentially change three time zones every two days, as a result. Phoenix robotic arm co-investigator and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.

References:

1. July 29, 2008 — Living on Mars time: Scientists suffer perpetual jet lag in the USA Today

and 1 others.

Phoenix Mars Lander is ready to analyze ice if instruments work properly. "The team is totally focused on getting a rasped-up icy sample to TEGA," says mission specialist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson. He says collecting the desired icy sample is like trying to sample the sidewalk in front of his house. "The soil is that hard," he says.

References:

1. July 18, 2008 — Tasting ice in the Science News Web edition

As NASA scientists prepare to give a faulty instrument on the Mars Lander another try, they've also been using an electric fork and an atomic force microscope to get more clues about the makeup of Martian soil. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, a co-investigator for the Mars Lander's robotic arm team, comments.

References:

1. July 14, 2008 — NASA: Robotic arm gives Martian soil a zap in the Computerworld (MA)

and 5 others.

NASA scientists are eagerly awaiting the first test results to come down from a wet chemistry lab on the Phoenix Mars Lander that yesterday analyzed its first bit of Martian soil. Includes comments by WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson on the work of the lander's robotic arm.

References:

1. June 25, 2008 — NASA waiting on first chemical analysis of Martian soil in the Computerworld (MA)

and 1 others.

The Mars Phoenix Lander has found ice on the surface of the Red Planet raising hopes of finding evidence of life forms.
The proof came in a series of pictures sent back by Phoenix of a trench it dug with its robotic arm at the arctic circle of Mars, showing dice-sized chunks of white material that are seen to melt away over the course of several days.
WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments. He is the lead scientist for Phoenix's Robotic Arm.

References:

1. June 21, 2008 — NASA's Phoenix Lander finds ice on Mars in the Telegraph.co.uk (UK)

The scientists behind NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander mission now know that they had their first close-up look at Martian ice — because it has vanished from the picture. NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.

References:

1. June 19, 2008 — Ice on Mars! Now you see it, now you don't in the MSNBC.MSN.com

The Phoenix lander stopped digging soil near Mars' north pole as engineers on Earth worked to fix a glitch that caused the loss of a day's worth of photos. NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.

References:

1. June 18, 2008 — Mars lander loses day of work after data glitch in the Associated Press

and 56 others.

NASA announced that the first soil sample baked in the Phoenix Mars Lander shows no signs of water. NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments on the robotic arm.

References:

1. June 16, 2008 — Phoenix Probes Martian Soil -- No Ice Yet but Lots of Resolution in the Scientific American online

The Phoenix lander's robotic arm has uncovered a patch of what may be ice on the border of a polygon-shaped section of soil in Mars's northern plains. NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments. He is the lead scientist for the robotic arm's activities.

References:

1. June 16, 2008 — Mars lander may have found ice at polygon's edge in the New Scientist (UK)

Is the white stuff in the Martian soil ice or salt? That's the question bedeviling scientists in the three weeks since the Phoenix lander began digging into Mars' north pole region to study whether the arctic could be habitable. Mission scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.

References:

1. June 16, 2008 — Mars team ponders whether lander sees ice or salt in the Associated Press

and 53 others.

Scientists said they were happy with a technique aimed at sprinkling just a spoonful of Martian soil into NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, avoiding a problem with clumpiness that has held up the first scientific samplings for days. NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.

References:

1. June 10, 2008 — Mars lander shakes soil successfully in the MSNBC

and 8 others.

Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera on Saturday took additional images of areas close to and under the Mars lander, says WUSTL's Ray Arvidson.

References:

1. — Phoenix Mars Lander Sifts For Samples, Continues Imaging Landing Site in the Science Daily

The practice dig made by the Phoenix Mars Lander's 8-foot-long robotic arm uncovered bits of bright specks in the soil believed to be ice or salt. NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments.

References:

1. June 2, 2008 — NASA robot scoops Martian soil for first time in the Associated Press

and 62 others.

Sharp new images received Saturday from the Phoenix lander largely convinced scientists that the spacecraft's thrusters had uncovered a large patch of ice just below the Martian surface.
That bodes well for the mission's main goal of digging for ice that can be tested for evidence of organic compounds that are the chemical building blocks of life.
NASA scientist and WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson.

References:

1. June 1, 2008 — New pics boost feelings Mars lander has bared ice in the Associated Press

and 37 others.

WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson comments on how NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spent its first full day in the Martian arctic.

References:

1. May 27, 2008 — Mars lander prepares for 3-month digging mission in the Associated Press

and 37 others.

WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, chairman of the landing-site working group, comments on the Mars rover landing.

References:

1. May 20, 2008 — Phoenix Lander Is Ready for Risky Descent to Mars in the The New York Times

and 2 others.

Despite the dozens of orbiters, landers and rovers that scientists have sent to Mars, we've still barely begun to solve the puzzle that is the Red Planet. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, chairman of the Phoenix mission's landing site working group, comments.

References:

1. May 19, 2008 — Why Mars remains a mystery in the MSNBC

and 1 others.

NASA hopes its latest robot to Mars hits pay dirt when it lands near the red planet's north pole to conduct a 90-day digging mission. WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, mission co-leader, comments.

References:

1. May 19, 2008 — Robot digger set to land Sunday at Martian pole in the Associated Press

and 141 others.

WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, chair of the Phoenix landing site working group at WUSTL's Earth and Planetary Remote Sensing Laboratory, comments on the Mars rover landing and research.

References:

1. May 14, 2008 — NASA Holds Breath for Phoenix Mars Lander's Touchdown in the Scientific American