The fourth planet from the Sun (227,940,000 km), Mars is our solar systems Red Planet.
With recent explorations to the planet by the Mars Global Surveyor and the Mars Pathfinder missions, a portal has been opened to a planet that could possibly sustain primitive live Martians.
Temperatures on the Martian surface range widely from -135 degrees C to 27 degrees C during winter at the ice capped poles. The poles, containing bright crystallized ice are composed of solid carbon dioxide or dry ice. Since, missions to Mars have begun to transform into a scientific reality, the Martian landscape had to be thoroughly examined for possible landing sites. Although a possible ancient living ground, the Martian surface still holds expanses of plains, ridges, and rift valleys.
| Olympus Mons | The largest known mountain in the Solar System at a height of 24 km and a base of more than 500 km in diameter |
| Tharsis | A huge extension of the surface that is approximately 4000 km across and about 10 km high |
| Valles Marineris | A group of canyons and craters that span 4000 km long of the planet's surface |
| Hellas Planitia | An exaan impact crater in the southern hemisphere over 6 km deep and 2000 km in diameter |
Mars has a very thin atmosphere composed of carbon dioxide (95.3%), nitrogen (2.7%), argon (1.6%) with traces of oxygen (0.15%) and water (0.03%).
The pressure on the surface is only one percent of that of Earth's, but the pressure varies greatly throughout the Martian landscape.
Mars is closely orbited by two tiny satellites: Phobos and Deimos.