The Phoenix Mars Lander spacecraft has confirmed there is water on Mars, Nasa said.

Scientist William Boynton of the University of Arizona said in a statement released by the space agency: "We have water."

He added: "We've seen evidence for this water ice before in observations by the Mars Odyssey orbiter and in disappearing chunks observed by Phoenix last month, but this is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted."

Water was positively identified after the lander's robotic arm delivered a soil sample to an instrument that identifies vapour produced by heating.

Nasa said it was extending the Phoenix Mars Lander mission by five weeks, saying it would move beyond the search for water to explore whether the red planet was ever capable of sustaining life.

Phoenix touched down in May on an ice sheet and samples of the ice were seen melting away in photographs taken by the lander's instruments in June.

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