EON

Extra Time Devoted By NASA To Perfect Excavation Procedures

Pasadena, California- Scientists worked diligently to practice digging in the Martian dirt to prepare for actual mission work, as different digging techniques were devised, practiced, and tried on the Phoenix lander.

The scientific team did not feel comfortable with the existing dumping dirt and digging process, and so it was decided that the processes needed to be practiced.

“The team did not feel confident with the process so they decided to practice some more,” said Chief Scientist Peter Smith.

Peter Smith is a staff scientist at the University of Arizona at Tucson team tasked with working with the Mars Phoenix Lander.

The process is remarkably similar to a small child digging in the sand with a shovel and pail.

“We are doing this type of digging from 170 million miles away,” said Smith.

The Mars Phoenix Lander landed near the north pole of Mars on May 25th to perform a three-month study mission.

Part of the Phoenix Lander’s responsibility is to study the climate and environment could ever be adapted to be habitable for primitive life forms.

Early photos from this mission show blotches of what may turn out to be Ice, that were uncovered when thrusters blew back loose soil on the surface.