Fact Sheet
Diving In
The Opportunity Mars rover took its first tentative step into the Endurance crater on Tuesday, when it drove just inside the crater's rim. As shown in this image, which was snapped a couple of days before Opportunity's first step, the crater contains layers of exposed rock. Scientists hope that Opportunity can sample these layers and help determine if they formed as the result of running or standing water. The rover has already discovered evidence of running water in a smaller crater, but the rock layers in Endurance are much older, so they should reveal more information about earlier epochs on the planet. Although engineers expect Opportunity to leave the crater when it completes its work, there's a chance that it might not be able to climb up the crater's steep inner slopes. Scientists decided the potential returns from the crater were worth the risk. [Credit: NASA/JPL]
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