Mars rover airbag marks. Marks in the Martian sand from the airbags of the lander that brought the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity safely to the Martian surface. Opportunity landed on 24 January 2004. The airbags were round in shape when inflated, making the round marks seen here. When the lander came to rest, the airbags deflated and were retracted into the lander. This created the drag marks at bottom. This image was taken with the panoramic camera. The rover landed in an area called Meridiani Planum. Opportunity, and an identical rover called Spirit, will study Martian rocks and look for water on the planet. For a colour image including this view, see R360/105.