Nasa names probes after Polar explorers

(Photograph) - Polar explorers Amundsen and Scott (below) are being honoured by the American space agency Nasa, which has named its two Deep Space 2 microprobes after them.

The vessels are due to smash into the surface of Mars close to its south pole on December 3, in a mission that is more to test advanced technology for future planetary microlanders than to make scientific discoveries. Photograph by MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY