No, the Phoenix Lander hasn’t had contact with Martian green men, and is scientifically unlikely to do so. Instead, its robotic arm made a footprint-like impression as it scooped some dirt from the area around Phoenix in what was a test to see how it worked.

According to the BBC News, David Spencer, the Phoenix surface mission manager said that this first touch would allow scientists working on the project to “utilize the robotic arm accurately.” The image of the “footprint” the robotic arm left on the planet’s surface was taken by the stereo vision system the arm is equipped with.

Another interesting image is the one that shows something that could be ice next to one of the Lander’s “feet.” One of the things that could explain why ice, considered to exist a few inches under Mars’s surface, appeared in plain sight is the possibility that Phoenix’s rocket propulsion descent mechanism blew away the layer of dust which covers the planet’s surface, thus revealing it. Even though scientists said that there was a good chance that what can be seen in the picture was ice, they haven’t ruled out the possibility that it could be just a rock.

During its three-month mission, which began about a week ago, the Phoenix Lander will take samples of the planet’s soil and, after melting those in its ovens, it will analyze the gases that result. Its main objective is to collect enough data so that scientists can draw a conclusion on whether life is or has ever been possible on Mars.