Yummy Mars Dirt

Now that the Phoenix Mars Lander has established water ice exists near the Martian surface, it is about to taste the dirt.

Over the next few days, the robot arm will scoop up some dirt and deliver it to the automated lab. There, the dirt will be mixed with water brought from Earth, heated, and chemically analyzed to give scientists a clear picture of what actually makes up the soil of the Martian arctic.

Of course, during such testing, biological markers could also be discovered.