The Mars rover Curiosity has finished its first chemical test of soil from the planet, and scientists said there are no surprises so far. The spacecraft is on a mission to look for ingredients in Martian soil and rocks that could support life. But in the first sample of soil analyzed, there were no definitive signs of such chemicals. Instead, the six-wheel rover detected water and a mix of other chemicals. The findings were reported Monday at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco, California. A comment two weeks ago by the chief scientist of the Mars rover mission led to speculation that Curiosity had dug up carbon-based organics, considered an essential ingredient for life.
