high res (3.5 M) low res (96 K)
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S94-26682 (1994) --- (Artist's concept of possible exploration programs.) Minutes before landing, the first Mars expedition crew's descent is abruptly slowed by the deployment of the spacecraft's main chutes. Their destination, the floor of Ganges Chasma, could hold the answers to questions about Mars' geological, hydrological, and even biological evolution. The crew descends to the planet's surface in the habitat they lived in during their six-month journey to Mars and will rendezvous on the surface with assets delivered nearly two years earlier. These assets have been declared operational and have already converted part of the Mars atmosphere into propellant and life support consumables for use by the crew prior to the crew leaving Earth. These images produced for NASA by Pat Rawlings. Technical concepts from NASA's Planetary Projects Office, Johnson Space Center (JSC).
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