Mars orbiter snaps new high-resolution color images

Searching for the next Mars landing sights, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured 143 high-resolution color images of the planet's surface. The pictures are the first color images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard the orbiter. The images are quite striking; they illustrate the unique geological history and chemical make-up of the planet's surface.

The next landing of a Mars rover will be in 2009. The unmanned rover, called the Mars Science Laboratory, will carry the next generation of instrumentation, searching for conditions that can or had once supported life on Mars.

Meanwhile, Opportunity and Spirit, the first two Mars Rovers, are still sending back data after more than three years of service. Not bad, considering the missions were expected to last three months. The aging rovers are beginning to fatigue due to the daily temperature swings of 200 degrees F. link