Mars (Phoenix) findings. Accurately.

Basically, what happened was that somebody wrote an article a few days ago that there could be life on Mars. Again. Well, now that story has evolved and NASA has published more information, it gets even more exciting even though they didn't find life.

They found that Mars soil is toxic, containing nothing less than perchlorate, of all things. There is a possibility this is a contamination from rocket fuel, since it is used in those. However, Phoenix was safely capsulated on top of the rocket when it launced from earth into Mars, so it cannot really be that because solid rocket fuels are not used when entering atmosphere. The thing is that you cannot control such explosive power. To get into orbit, such explosive power however is a good thing.

What percholare is..

It is a rocket fuel.

It can be used to create oxygen (O2). Chemically.

It is toxic so that plants don't grow.

So now we have a red planet which has water, oxygen source and a fuel source. Anybody else find this a spectacular find?

Chemical-oxygen generator

NASA announcement here

A wikipedia search that has results which give you general idea of what was actually found: here

Forgot to say that I really don't know which one of those perchlorate's it is, but they apparently don't know it either.

Great news, so the Martian soil has fuel.. Better not tell George Bush , he may try to invade...