astroengine writes "What if the Martian terrain is too rugged
for a rover to traverse? How do we study surface features that
are too small for an orbiter to resolve? If selected by NASA,
the Aerial Regional-Scale Environment Surveyor (ARES) could soar
high above the Martian landscape, getting a unique birds-eye
view of the Red Planet. Its primary mission is to sniff out
potential microbial-life-generating gases like methane, but it
would also be an ideal reconnaissance vehicle to find future
landing sites for a manned expedition. Prototypes of the rocket-
powered drone have been successfully flown here on Earth, so
will we see ARES on Mars any time soon?"