Mission to Mars

This image, released by NASA on March 23, 2006, shows the wheels of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit churning up the largest amount of bright soil discovered so far in the mission. This image was taken while driving eastward toward the northwestern flank of 'McCool Hill.' The image, taken on the rover's 787th Martian day, or sol, of exploration (March 21, 2006), shows the strikingly light tone and large extent of the deposit. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout/Reuters)