NASA's Mars Phoenix lander is really cooking now

A last-ditch attempt to shake a sample of Martian soil into an oven on NASA's Phoenix lander succeeded Wednesday, clearing the way for tests to determine whether the northern plains of Mars may once have been habitable.

"The group went up in cheers -- I got a standing ovation," said William Boynton, the lead scientist on the vital instrument that will bake the Martian sample in a search for organic compounds.