LONG before the Mars rover Spirit turned around and rolled off its ramp, and even before it had taken the full infrared panoramic image that was supposed to be the most important tool for choosing which areas to visit, the scientists planning its mission had decided where they ultimately want their Mars buggy to go: the hills.
The very first panoramic image taken after Spirit landed, even in low-resolution black and white, made the choice clear. Tantalisingly nearby on the horizon was a long, low set of hills bearing intriguing dark markings and layers of rock.
Images taken from orbit…
