This view from the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on
the mission's 60th Martian day, or sol, (July 26, 2008) was taken after
the lander's scoop sprinkled a soil sample over Thermal and Evolved-Gas
Analyzer (TEGA).
The upper part of the picture shows the robotic arm scoop parked open-face
down above the TEGA after delivery. The TEGA doors farthest to the right
were open to receive the sample into one of TEGA's eight ovens. Not enough
material reached the oven to allow an analysis to begin. Some of the soil
sample can be seen at the bottom of the adjacent pair of doors.
This view is presented in false color, which makes the reddish color of
the soil-sample material easy to see.
The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf
of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin
Space Systems, Denver.
