Like any good camera-wielding tourist, NASA’s Mars Global
Surveyor continues to shoot stunning pictures as it begins the
second extension of its successful mission.

Some newly released images show a 3-D view of layers on
the martian surface that may be ancient sedimentary rocks,
while others show an unusual spiral-shaped cloud over the
giant Arsia Mons volcano.

The images are available at:

  • Mars Global Surveyor: Arsia Mons Spiral Cloud
  • Mars Global Surveyor: Fresh Impact Crater and Rays in Tharsis
  • Mars Global Surveyor: MOC Extended Mission View of North Polar Layers
  • Mars Global Surveyor: Relay-16 Stereo View of Layer Outcrops in Iani Chaos
  • Mars Global Surveyor: Changes in South Polar Carbon Dioxide Ice Cap

    Launched Nov. 7, 1996, Global Surveyor entered the
    martian orbit on Sept. 12, 1997. The mission has studied the
    entire Martian surface, atmosphere, and interior, and has
    returned more data about the red planet than all other Mars
    missions combined.

    Mars Global Surveyor is managed by the Jet Propulsion
    Laboratory for NASA’s Office of Space Science, Washington,
    D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of
    Technology in Pasadena. JPL’s industrial partner is Lockheed
    Martin Astronautics, Denver, which developed and operates the
    spacecraft. The Mars Orbiter Camera is operated by Malin Space
    Science Systems, San Diego, Calif.