NASA’s Opportunity rover has been exploring Mars.

After close to a year examining the large Martian crater Victoria, NASA’s Mars Exploration rover Opportunity is finally returning to the surface.

The NASA Mars rover Opportunity has completed its exploration of the exposed ancient rock layers in the Victoria crater, the deepest crater the rover has encountered, and is now commencing its ascension to the Red Planet’s surrounding plains.

Bruce Banerdt, Project Scientist for the Opportunity, said: “We’ve done everything we entered Victoria Crater to do and more.”

The rover entered the crater on 11 September 2007, after a year of scouting from the rim. After identifying a navigable slope, the Opportunity was able to use contact instruments on its robotic arm to inspect the composition and texture of the accessible layers.

The Opportunity has collected data which could provide vital information about the Red Planet’s history as well as capturing detailed images of Martian layers. Scott McLennan of the State University of New York and Planning Leader for the rover science team said: “By looking deeper into the layering, we are looking farther back in time.” 

Information relayed by the Mars rover about the layers in Victoria suggests the sediments were deposited by wind and then altered by groundwater.

The next task for the Opportunity is to inspect loose cobbles on the plains. The rocks, approximately fist-size, were thrown long distances when objects hitting Mars blasted large craters into the planet’s surface. The examination of the cobbles will hopefully lead to a better understanding of Mars’ geology.

For images and information about NASA’s Opportunity rover, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/rovers