Scientists have garnered much of their knowledge of these regions from images
taken by the Viking
orbiters of the 1970s and by the veteran Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
aboard the Mars Global Surveyor.
This year, the Mars Odyssey
spacecraft joined Mars Global Surveyor in scrutinizing the Martian surface from
above.
Jul 30, 2002 | MISSIONS
NASA's Mars 'Czar' Gives a Status Report on Red Planet Plans
(Space.com) - Orlando Figueroa discusses bringing back a piece of Mars and other long-term missions.
Jun 26, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Large Former Lake, Catastrophic Flood Identified on Mars
(Spaceflight Now) - The lake once covered an area the size of Texas and New Mexico combined.
Apr 24, 2002 | MISSIONS
Mars Rover Landing Spots: Blowing In The Wind
(Space.com) - Scientists have discovered a new problem with some of the proposed landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers: strong winds.
Mar 25, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Why it Snows at Mars' North Pole
(Space.com) - A computer simulation may explain why more water ice collects at Mars' north pole than at its south pole.
Mar 15, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Rover Landing Site Sweet Spots Not So Sweet
(Space.com) - Spacecraft orbiting Mars have revealed problems with proposed landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.
Mar 04, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Vast Ice Fields Suggest Life on Mars Possible
(L.A. Times) - Scientists say they are 'blown away' by the Odyssey spacecraft's findings.
Feb 27, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Digital Data Puts Mars on Map
(BBC) - A new high-resolution atlas of Mars could help determine whether the planet is geologically active.
Feb 06, 2002 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Four Sites Considered for Landers
(Florida Today) - Isidis Planitia has replaced Athabasca Vallis as one of the candidate landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.
Dec 19, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
All-Terrain Rovers May Scale Mars' Cliffs
(NASA) - The robots may search for signs of past or present life by exploring water seepage or exposed geologic layers
Dec 13, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Where to Land on Mars? It's Not an Easy Choice
(NASA) - Scientists have selected four candidate landing sites for the twin Mars Exploration Rovers.
Dec 12, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Mars Global Surveyor Sees Possible Climate Change
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - Photos indicate that Mars' climate is changing even now.
Nov 15, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Selects Investigations for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
(NASA) - The 10 science investigations include searching for water on Mars.
Aug 01, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Looking for Life at the Poles of Mars
(Space.com) - While most liquid water on Mars may lie deep underground, life might exist close to the surface of the polar ice caps.
Jul 17, 2001 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Zooming in on Mars
(Space.com) - Set for launch in 2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will be essential to selecting landing sites for future missions.
Mar 28, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
The Lure of Hematite
(Science@NASA) - On rusty-red Mars, a curious deposit of gray-colored hematite (a mineral cousin of common household rust) could hold the key to the mystery of elusive Martian water.
Mar 27, 2001 | MISSIONS
British scientists propose Mars sample return mission
(CNN) - The 2009 mission would gather a small sample of Martian soil and return it to Earth in 2011.
Mar 02, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Two Rovers in Search of a Landing Site
(NASA Astrobiology Institute) - In 2003, NASA will send two rovers to Mars to search for signs of water in the planet's ancient past. But where exactly on Mars should they look for it?
Feb 21, 2001 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS, EDUCATION
Students uncover baffling Martian boulders
(NASA) - A group of students working with a NASA spacecraft camera have stumbled upon a surprising cluster of dark boulders in the middle of light-colored terrain.
Dec 22, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Scientists to begin selecting landing sites for Mars rovers
(Space.com) - The two rovers will search for evidence of liquid water in Mars' ancient past.
Dec 20, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Beagle 2 landing site on Mars selected
(ESA) - The region appears to be a sedimentary basin where traces of life could have been preserved.
Dec 04, 2000 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Evidence of ancient lakes on Mars
(NASA) - If life once existed on Mars, sedimentary layers in the lake beds might be the place to look for fossils.
Oct 19, 1999 | SCIENCE, MISSIONS
Selecting a landing site for Mars 2001 mission
(SpaceDaily) - The site, a basin that may have been covered by water long ago, is a promising place to look for sedimentary rocks that might contain microfossils.
Aug 25, 1999 | MISSIONS
NASA announces next Mars landing site
(NASA) - The Mars Polar Lander will study the planet's climate history, and look for evidence of water there.