MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-516, 17 October 2003

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows eroded, stair-stepped layers in the south polar region of Mars. These layers have been considered, for the past three decades, to consist of a mixture of dust and ice. The Mars Polar Lander (MPL) mission was designed to test this hypothesis. However, sadly, MPL was lost during descent in December 1999. This exposure of south polar layered material is located near 86.3°S, 187.7°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.