NASA scientists yesterday announced that their initial analysis found that Martian soil could support life. The Phoenix Mars Lander, which is using a robotic arm to dig a shallow trench and then scoop up and analyze soil samples on the northern pole of the planet has found both “ice and soil” that can support life on Mars.

According to the first test results from the wet chemistry laboratory on the Mars Lander, the Martian soil is very much capable of supporting life. Reinforcing this is the fact that the mineral rich soil and water are both right on the surface and are very much accessible.  
 
Samuel Kounaves, a professor at Tufts University and a research affiliate with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said, “We were all very flabbergasted at the data we got back [from the wet chemistry tests. We basically have found what appears to be the requirement to support life, whether in the past, present or future. We have elements that you might find in your backyard.”

The Martian soil is alkaline in nature with pH level of about 8. The minerals found in the soil include potassium, chloride, sodium, and magnesium. Scientists are still waiting for the results of the tests that would prove the presence of sulfate in the soil.

In a test when the soil was heated to about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, small amounts of carbon dioxide and water vapor were released. This shows that there had been water there in the past.

Kounaves said, “Some kinds of Earth life would be happy to live in these soils; Asparagus, green beans and turnips love alkaline soils.”