Yesterday, the Phoenix Lander gave its team of scientists a reason to celebrate, as it sent back to base the most detailed pictures ever taken of the Martian soil. The photos offer a clear view of the fine grains, which seem to be mixed with some sort of minerals. Further investigations will surely determine the exact composition.

One of the unknown components, some green-colored particles, are believed to be a mineral associated with volcanic eruptions, known as olivine.

Since its landing on the Martian terrain on May 25, the Phoenix has come across a few setbacks before successfully engaging in its assignments. The main issue involved the difficulty of fitting the soil samples dropped from the robotic arm into the test oven’s opening which was resolved with a sprinkling maneuver.

The scientific mission involves several soil investigations, made using the probe’s onboard chemical analysis ovens, which are expected to identify the dirt’s compounds and determine whether the white particles noticed under the planet’s red soil might be ice. If it will indeed turn out to be ice, a completely new set of tests and investigations will begin, as it is very important to determine if the ice is ancient or recently formed.

The reason why this mission objective is so important is that if the ice’s formation would be determined as relatively recent, it could mean that the planet has a fluctuating active climate, which would significantly increase the chances of finding microbial life beneath the frozen territory.

"On Earth, the polar regions preserve traces of climate change, and even preserve signs of life and organic material," Phoenix team leader Peter Smith explained yesterday during a news briefing.

The first results of the analysis are expected next week and once the first set of questions will be answered, the scientists will know in which direction to head next.