http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/sc...1marssoil.html
"After days of struggling with sticky Martian dirt, the Phoenix Mars Lander has
unexpectedly succeeded in getting its first soil sample into an onboard laboratory
for analysis, jubilant NASA scientists said on Wednesday.

The breakthrough came after the lander spent days vibrating a screen over its onboard
Thermal Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) in hopes that the clumpy soil would break loose
and fall into the onboard ovens. The scientists were caught by surprise when the
trick worked on the seventh, and likely last, try."

In article ,
wrote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/sc...1marssoil.html
"After days of struggling with sticky Martian dirt, the Phoenix Mars Lander has
unexpectedly succeeded in getting its first soil sample into an onboard
laboratory for analysis, jubilant NASA scientists said on Wednesday..."

LOL! Yeah, that must have had them biting their nails. Glad it
finally worked.

I'd still put my adobe up against their Martian soil for plain
orneriness, though. They could shake it all they wanted, and
it still wouldn't unclump and fall through a screen!


Patty