Photo: THOR Spacecraft to Hammer Out Huge Crater on Mars

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NASA's Mars exploration rover Spirit recently uncovered a bright swath of powdery material that scientists say contains iron-bearing sulfates. These salts, which move best when dissolved in liquid, may record the past presence of water on the red planet.

A proposed mission aims to blast an enormous crater on Mars to search for subsurface water ice and possible signs of life.

Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

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