Target Zone

An image snapped from Mars orbit shows the landing site of InSight, a mission scheduled for touchdown on November 26. Known as Elysium Planitia, the site is smooth and flat, with no mountains or other major features and few boulders. The mission is designed to probe the Martian interior, so it needs a safe landing spot near the equator, where its solar arrays can receive abundant sunshine throughout the year. [NASA]