The red planet mars, named for the roman god of war, has long been an omen in the night sky. And in its own way, the planetÒ€ℒs rusty red surface tells a story of destruction. In 1971 mariner 9 entered orbit around mars, being the first spacecraft to orbit any body other than the moon, sun or earth;

NasaÒ€ℒs real-time portal for mars exploration, featuring the latest news, images, and discoveries from the red planet.