Here's another press release from Monday:

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Working With Sticky Soil.
"July 28, 2008 -- Scientists and engineers on NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission spent the weekend examining how the icy soil on Mars interacts with the scoop on the lander's robotic arm, while trying different techniques to deliver a sample to one of the instruments."
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/07_28_pr.php

This experience again raises the question if liquid water brines are playing a roll in the stickiness and whether that possibility should have been included in the modeling of the sample delivery.
Anyone know if the samples are being delivered during the coldest part of the day?

Bob Clark