NASA scientists said on July 31 they had definitive proof that water exists on Mars. In June, the Phoenix Mars Lander found ice on the planet. On July 30, water was positively identified after the lander’s robotic arm delivered a soil sample to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by heating. NASA has extended the mission of the Phoenix Mars Lander by five weeks. The lander will now explore whether the planet was ever capable of sustaining life.