On Saturday, NASA officials announced they have encountered yet another problem with their plan to analyze Martian soil. It seems that on Friday, although Phoenix Mars Lander’s robotic arm managed to release a soil sample onto the screen of the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA), the device failed to confirm the processing of the sample.

The TEGA was supposed to heat up the sample and, following the vapors’ analysis, to establish the soil’s composition. The reasons for the malfunction have not been determined yet.

So far, the Lander has send back to Earth the highest-resolution images ever to be taken of the compounds of another’s planet soil. The photos are ten times better than any other previous attempt and according to US space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, these are the first to show the detailed diversity of mineralogy and geology on Mars.

The mission involves answering the question of whether or not the soil samples contain traces of organic compounds and carbon-based elements; this will eventually enable scientists to determine if Mars has ever had the appropriate environmental conditions in order to support primitive life. Also, scientists are very interested about the information that can be put together on climate change.

The mission, which will stretch over 90 Martian days, or 92 Earth days, started at a site in the north region of the planet, established at 68 degrees north latitude, 233 degrees east longitude, at temperatures of minus 73 C to minus 33 C (minus 100 F to minus 28 F).