New pics boost feelings Mars lander has bared ice

• May 31, 2008
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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, team members said. This contrast-enhanced image provided Saturday, May 31, 2008, by NASA was acquired at the Phoenix landing site by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera, and shows the underside of the lander. Descent thrusters on the bottom of the lander are visible at the top of the image. As seen in the top center, the exhaust from the descent engine has blown soil off to reveal either rock or ice, which has not yet been determined.