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PASADENA, Calif. — Did NASA’s Phoenix Mars lander find evidence of liquid water before it froze to death? Some scientists think so. In a provocative new paper, 22 members of the mission argue that droplets seen on Phoenix’s leg were from liquid water that splashed during landing.
Scientists propose that the perchlorate salts near the landing site acted as an antifreeze by lowering the freezing point of ice, causing it to melt into a salty liquid that splashed onto Phoenix’s leg.
Scientists point to images taken by the lander, but other team members say the images are too fuzzy to support the claim.
