[meteorite-list] Major Mars Express Scheduled Orbit Change Successful

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:18:05 2004
Message-ID: <200312301741.JAA26838_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEM4GC374OD_0.html

Major Mars Express scheduled orbit change successful
European Space Agency
30 December 2003

This morning, at 09:00 CET, the first European mission to Mars registered
another operational success. The Mars Express flight control team at
ESOC prepared and executed another critical manoeuvre, bringing the
spacecraft from an equatorial orbit into a polar orbit around Mars.

All commands were transmitted to Mars Express via ESA's new Deep
Space Station in New Norcia, Australia. This morning, the main engine of Mars
Express was fired for four minutes to turn the spacecraft into a new direction, at
a distance of 188 000 kilometres from Mars and about 160 million kilometres
from Earth. On 4 January 2004, this new polar orbit will be reduced even further.
 
Fascinating ESA science mission ahead
 
In a polar orbit, Mars Express can now start to
prepare its scientific observation mission as planned,
working much like an 'Earth-observation satellite'
but around Mars. From the second half of January
2004, the orbiter's instruments will be able to scan
the atmosphere, the surface and parts of the
subsurface structure of Mars with unmatched
precision.

The MARSIS radar, for example, will be able to scan
as far as four kilometres below the surface, looking for underground water or ice.
The High Resolution Stereo Camera will take high-precision pictures of the
planet and will begin a comprehensive 3D cartography of Mars. Also, several
spectrometers will try to unveil the mysteries of Martian mineralogy and the
atmosphere, as well as influences from the solar wind or seasonal changes.
 
 
Mars Express closes in on Beagle 2 landing area
 
The change of orbit by the Mars Express orbiter will
allow increasingly closer looks at the Beagle 2
landing site, which measures 31 kilometres by 5
kilometres. In this narrowing polar orbit, the orbiter
will fly directly over the landing site at an altitude of
315 kilometres on 7 January 2004, at 13:13 CET. The
reduced distance, the ideal angle of overflight and originally foreseen
communication interfaces between the 'mother' and 'baby' will increase the
probability of catching signals from the ground.
 
 
Ongoing European co-operation and international support
 
The Mars Express flight control team of ESA in Darmstadt, Germany, is in
regular contact with its colleagues of the Beagle 2 team and with NASA ground
stations. In addition, ESA receives regular support or offers of support from the
Jodrell Bank radio telescope in the UK, Westerborg telescope in the
Netherlands, Effelsberg telescope in Germany and Stanford University's
telescope in the USA. ESA is grateful for this spirit of dynamic international
co-operation on its first mission to Mars.
 
Received on Tue 30 Dec 2003 12:41:14 PM PST


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