View the Surface of Mars with Mars Explorer for Android

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Mars Explorer is an Android app for viewing the raw images of the surface of Mars taken by NASA’s Curiosity, Spirit, and Opportunity rovers, and the InSight lander.

Mars Explorer for Android on a Pixel 4 XL phone
Mars Explorer on my Pixel 4 XL phone.

You can get the latest images from the active missions, Curiosity and InSight, and browse the image archives of the completed missions, Spirit and Opportunity. The app lets you view, save as favorites, and share the images. To drill down to the ones you’re interested in, there are options for selecting the relevant Sol (Martian day) or terrestrial date.

In Mars Explorer you’ll also find general information on Mars, the vehicles that take the images, and their instruments. Weather reports and environmental measurements from the Curiosity rover complete the feature set.

The app runs well also on Chrome OS, where it takes advantage of the large screens of Chromebooks by providing an alternate layout that better organizes the content and the navigation elements. The layout activates on Android tablets, too.

Mars Explorer focuses on one task and does it well.

The simple user interface provides quick access to the latest images from the surface of Mars. Plus, the app has a small memory footprint, so it runs well on low-end Android devices with limited storage.

I wrote a book that helps you discover and use similar apps, Space Apps for Android: Discover the Best Astronomy and Space Apps.

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