Rover nears crater science trove

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...

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.

•	Rover nears crater science trove BBC News (UK), Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006 Byline: BBC News staff

	Story also ran in 12 others:  The Register (UK), Xinhua (China), People's Daily Online (China), Astrobiology Magazine, Space.com, Aero-News Network (FL), Space Daily (CA), Astrobiology News (VA), Space Ref.com, Mars Today, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (CA) and City News Service