"They help us plan measurements we're making within reach of the robotic arm and interpret those measurements on a wider scale," he added.
The science team is now trying to determine whether the water ice ever thaws enough to be available for biology and if carbon-containing chemicals and other raw materials for life are present.
Image: In this handout photo provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona, the Phoenix Mars Lander decends to the surface of Mars. At a cost of $420 million, the Phoenix Mars Lander has flown 422 million miles since leaving Earth last August.
Photograph: Arizona via Getty Images
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