cbs space news space_shuttlegvcormagvcceaschallengecccbsigcom cbs news coverage breaking space news posted 430 pm 8508 william harwood cbs news space consultant changes additions 080208 1155 pm spacex falcon 1 rocket suffers anomaly launch 080308 0120 falcon 1 failure blamed stage separation malfunction musk says spacex press 080508 0430 pm phoenix data suggests perchlorates mars soil implications tbd 430 pm 8508 update phoenix data suggests perchlorates mars soil implications tbd instrument aboard nasas phoenix mars lander detected may perchlorate soil red planets northern latitudes unexpected still tentative discovery touched flurry speculation whether mars ever habitable highly oxidizing perchlorates toxic terrestrial plants thrive compound presence mars would confirm challenge planets overall habitability either distant past scientists said today substantial evidence soil samples contain perchlorate thats chlorine four oxygen atoms said peter smith manager phoenix lander project university arizona earth perchlorates found atacama desert chile association nitrates mined fertilizer desert hyperarid environment rarely sees rain vascular plants often used scientists matter fact martian analogue site compounds quite stable soil water destroy organic materials normal circumstances fact species perchloratereducing microbes live energy provided oxidant therefore important piece puzzle attempt determine habitable conditions exist microbes mars neither good bad life either way smith said results yet confirmed second instrument aboard phoenix lander perchlorate defined toxic compound powerful oxidizing properties early draw conclusions habitability landing zone mars general based data phoenix perchlorate soil affects habitability complex question certainly dont final answer smith said stable material likely tear apart organic materials unless heat high temperatures really doesnt limit us search habitability icy soil lucky enough see organic signatures future soil samples would huge surprise think coexisting perchlorate phoenix lander equipped instruments capable direct detection life analyzing chemical makeup soil near nowconfirmed ice deposits scientists hope draw conclusions past present habitability red planet data turn help nasa planners select landing sites experiments future missions news conference last week phoenix scientists reported confirmation ice found soil near lander surprise given earlier photographs lander showed appeared ice sublimating vanishing sunlight subsequent story aviation week space technology magazine quoting sources reported white house presidential science advisors office briefed new discovery concerning habitability mars story say whether results supported challenged habitability nasa spokesman said today agency briefed white house time nasa apparently received enough enquiries news media wake aviation week story warrant followup teleconference today discuss issue today announce nonannouncement said michael meyer chief scientist mars exploration program nasa headquarters experiments time needed resolve interesting findings soil chemistry smith described teleconference unusual step break scientific tradition today opening window project allow public see scientific process action said tradition bypassed extreme interest exhibited toward phoenix search habitable environment northern plains mars rather speculation become rampant web promise insight investigations underway inside operations center however must caution completed process halfway data collection phase asked repeatedly potential implications perchlorates fact presence compound one forms confirmed phoenix officials said simply know say could potentially keep lot graduate students busy long period fo time said michael hecht science lead microscopy electrochemistry conductivity analyzer meca instrument past weeks two soil samples analyzed mecas wet chemistry laboratory results indicate possible presence perchlorate soil another instrument called thermal evolvedgas analyzer tega uses small ovens bake sniff soil constituents scientists still analyzing data tega find detected perchlorate along analyzing data meca tega instruments phoenix team also working make sure spacecraft somehow introduce perchlorate component solid rocket propellant martian environment excitement chlorine atoms surrounded oxygen atoms expected asked hecht well part scientists fascinated things like thats trouble getting dates high school mostly different types perchlorate salts interesting properties may bear way things work mars thats really big results little teaspoon full soil representative whole planet even significant portions whole planet said perchlorates would affect many things land forms whether distant pass ever precipitation widespread implications may turn nothing may turn important hecht said opened whole new research chapter us could talk one potential applications length think ready yet quicklaunch web links cbs news sts125 status reports httpwwwcbsnewscomnetworknewsspacecurrenthtml cbs news sts125 quicklook page httpwwwcbsnewscomnetworknewsspacecurrentglancehtml nasa iss expeditions page httpwwwnasagovmission_pagesstationexpeditionsindexhtml nasa shuttle web httpspaceflightnasagovshuttleindexhtml nasa station web httpspaceflightnasagovstationindexhtml spaceflight httpspaceflightnowcomindexhtml googlesattrack httpwwwlizardtailcomisanatracking currently subscribed cbs space news mailing list unsubscribe go httpwwwcbsnewscomhtdocsregistrationunsubscribephp tue 05 aug 2008 165727 0400 445p 85 update phoenix data indicates perchlorates mars implications tbd