Our understanding of Mars has improved dramatically in recent years. In the past decade, seven science missions have investigated the planet from orbit and on the surface. Of these, five payloads continue to make operate. Mission objectives emphasize the role of water through time, particularly as it relates to the potential for past and present life, the climate history, and geology of Mars. This lecture will examine recent findings and ongoing studies relating, in particular, to surface water processes and related mineralogy, evidence of liquid water flowing on the surface today, near- subsurface sounding of polar layered terrain, and the annual and interannual cycles of dust and volatiles. The most recent arrival at Mars, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the mission to be launched later this year, the Phoenix Lander, will also be described.