Thick clouds of dust and sand obscure the sky in this view of a lonely Martian sub-canyon. The explorers have come prepared for this kind of weather and will continue to record the scene with the tripod-mounted equipment.

The landscape is harshly eroded from the scouring action of countless storms that have ravaged this area of the planet for eons - and the brown-tinted sunlight that does manage to filter through the fast-moving dust clouds is barely enough to illuminate the many barren canyons and hills that comprise the bleak and uninviting landscape.

But this visit has already proven successful - though these explorers are unaware of the values about to be unleashed! Their finds of rare and unusual mineral deposits have already made the costs of future visits of little consequence! And the potential of finding even simple life-forms under the surface still exists - especially as exploration is continuing further north near the polar cap.

Once samples of the collected materials and scientific records being gathered here are transported to the orbiting laboratory tation overhead, sophisticated equipment will be used to uncover just a few of the possible treasures this 'dead' planet has available to share with humankind!