He also said that scientists hope an analysis of the soil will help them get a better idea of Mars' geology.

CNN: Mars' geology 'more like Earth than the moon'

The measurements have been used to construct a precise topographical map of Mars with many applications in geophysics, geology and atmospheric circulation.

BBC: New view of giant Martian volcano

Hoffman says his students at MIT are "champing at the bit" to get to Mars, where human beings could learn much more about the geology of planets than any robot could.

FORBES: NASA Needs A Mission

This is a tale of a wonderful coincidence that ties together Mars, the Canadian north-west, Scotland and 100 years of geology.

BBC: Cosmic coincidence on the road to Glenelg

Kepler is searching for Earth-like planets around far-flung stars, and the Mars Science Laboratory will sample the Red Planet's geology looking for the building blocks of life - though it will not explicitly look for life itself.

BBC: 'No evidence' for extraterrestrials, says White House