Mars surface. Backshell (left) and parachute (right) from the lander that brought the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity to the surface of Mars. Opportunity landed on 24 January 2004 in the Meridiani Planum region, east of Valles Marineris near the Martian equator. The lander discarded its backshell and parachute on the plain before coming to a standstill in a small crater. This image was taken by the rover's panoramic camera as it looked over the crater rim (foreground). Opportunity, and an identical rover called Spirit, will study Martian rocks and look for evidence of water on the planet.