The first rover, scheduled for launch on May 30, will be directed to Gusev Crater, located 15 degrees south of Mars’ equator. The second robotic scout, slated for liftoff on June 25, is targeted to land at Meridiani Planum, which features rich deposits of gray hematite, an iron oxide mineral associated with water. Meridiani Planum is about 2 degrees south of the equator and halfway around the planet from Gusev Crater.
Interesting that both rovers are targeted to the southern hemisphere, where we’ve not landed before. I’m not familiar with the terrain in those specific areas, but since a good portion of the southern hemisphere is rough highland terrain, it’s possible that we’ll actually see terrain that isn’t the Martian equivalent of central Illinois.