Valles Marineris Perspective from Mars Express.

Europe's Mars Express satellite has started returning detailed color images of the red planet. The first of the current armada to arrive at Mars , the orbiting satellite will photograph the entire Martian surface to a resolution of 10 meters or higher, map the mineral composition to 100 meter resolution, and investigate the global circulation of the atmosphere. Pictured above is a 3D perspective of the first image released from this satellite -- a stunning computer reconstruction of part of the Valles Marineris region, a canyon nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Mars. In reality, Valles Marineris is four times longer and five times deeper than its Arizona counterpart. The above image shows a portion of Valles Marineris roughly 65 kilometers across, detailing many ridges and valleys . Mars Express is scheduled to continue to send back images for at least a full Martian year .