Nasa's robotic Mars rover Opportunity is closing in on what could be the richest scientific "treasure trove" of its mission so far. Within the next two weeks, Opportunity should reach the rim of a crater wider and deeper than any it has visited in more than two-and-a-half years on Mars. Rocks exposed in the walls of Victoria Crater could open a new window into the geological history of the Red Planet. Opportunity has been exploring Mars' Meridiani Plains since January 2004. Its "twin", the Spirit rover, continues to explore Gusev Crater on the other side of the Red Planet. Images from Nasa's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft show a stack of layered bedrock about 30-40m (100-130ft) thick in the walls of Victoria. "We have a fully functional vehicle with all the instruments working. We're ready to hit Victoria with everything we've got," said Byron Jones, a rover mission manager at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Ray Arvidson, deputy principal investigator for the rovers, said that exploring the rocks in Victoria Crater would greatly increase understanding of past conditions on Mars, including the role of water. "In particular, we are very interested in whether the rocks continue to show evidence for having been formed in shallow lakes," said the scientist, who is based at Washington University in St Louis, US.

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Interesting as "Layered Rocks" generally mean water, at least here on Earth. Such layered rocks as shale are products of water producing mud, and then retreating, then hardning.

Be interesting fo find out what was discovered.

how are these rovers still working ?

Seriously. >.>

Great engineering went into the rover. I am lucky if my car doesn't break down every two months nevermind two years.

well its because they made the rovers to last and the car company makes your car crapy so u will give them money to fix it.

war junkie so true so true, the ever lasting light bulb makes sense but economically doesn't