Guide Note
On June 26, 2008, NASA scientists announced that the soil on Mars contains the necessary nutrients to support life. The samples were analyzed in a wet chemistry experiment done on board the Mars Phoenix Lander.
Fast Facts
- Sample obtained by Mars Phoenix Lander
- Sample analyzed: 1 cubic centimeter of Martian soil1
- Soil determined to have a high PH level, making it very alkaline, similar to1
- Basic vegetables like asparagus or turnips could be grown
- Too much alkaline for crops like strawberries or blueberries
Mars Soil Quotes
"We basically have found what appears to be the requirements, the nutrients, to support life whether past, present or future...The sort of soil you have there is the type of soil you’d probably have in your backyard."2—Samuel P. Kounaves, Tufts University
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