The Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter scopes out Mawrth Vallis, a deep channel region near the
northern Martian lowlands that is one of four possible landing sites for the upcoming
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission.
This site
contains a rich mineral diversity reflected in its palette of colors, including
clay minerals formed as water altered Martian rocks and loose "regolith,"
or soil. The wide range of minerals could also indicate that they formed from
many different processes – something that MSL could investigate more
thoroughly. But fascinating as the site is scientifically, the rough terrain
could also make for a trickier landing.
The
big-wheeled MSL rover is the size
of a small SUV, dwarfing its smaller cousins Spirit and Opportunity that are already on Mars. However,
the mission has run into cost overruns and has already seen its price tag hit
$2 billion. Scientists still hope to keep everything on track for a
September or October launch in 2009.
— NASA/JPL/University of Arizona and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
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