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Water Channels Viewed by Mars Global Surveyor

In November 1996, NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory began America's return to Mars, after a 20-year absence, by launching the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft. This mission has ushered in a new and exciting era of scientific missions to study the red planet.

Surveyor is returning an unprecedented amount of data regarding Mars' surface features, atmosphere, and magnetic properties. Scientists will use the data gathered from this mission both to learn about the Earth by comparing it to Mars, and to build a comprehensive data set to aid in planning future missions.

Mars and Earth shared similar conditions billions of years ago, but appear much different today. A comparison of Mars and Earth will allow scientists to understand Earth's history and possibly its future.