Mars as never seen before

Mars Express is Europe's first planetary explorer, a collaboration among 10 countries that carries instruments to examine the surface, atmosphere and space environment of Mars. Among the instruments is the High Resolution Stereo Camera, which has already produced spectacular images of scientific value. Here we present a selection of these first images, together with a summary of the capabilities and aims of this instrument. The images so far show details of surfaces shaped by volcanic, tectonic and fluid flow processes during the history of the planet. HRSC has a list of targets for observation that should throw light on some problematic aspects of martian evolution, such as the existence of bodies of surface water, and the influence of tectonic and volcanic processes.