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Nature 448, 742-744 (16 August 2007) | doi:10.1038/448742a; Published online 15 August 2007

Space exploration: Secrets of the martian soil

Corinna Wu1

  1. Corinna Wu is a freelance writer in Washington DC.

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For 30 years scientists have believed that there are no organic molecules in the martian soil. Will NASA's Phoenix probe prove them right or wrong, asks Corinna Wu.

In the summer of 1976, humanity first got its surrogate hands on the soil of another planet. Two Viking probes scooped up samples from their landing sites and fed them into an array of instruments carried from Earth for the purpose.

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