[meteorite-list] Mars Express Celebrates 10 Marvellous Years

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2013 09:26:57 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201306031626.r53GQv3O023904_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=51820

Mars Express celebrates 10 marvellous years
European Space Agency
June 3, 2013

A decade has passed since Europe's first mission to Mars was
launched from Baikonur cosmodrome on 2 June 2003. Aptly given the
name Mars Express, it was developed more quickly, and at a much
lower cost, than any similar missions developed up to that time.
So successful was the design concept that a similar spacecraft,
Venus Express, was later sent to the second planet from the Sun.

The relatively low cost of the mission was achieved through new
and innovative approaches in the working relationship between ESA,
industry, national agencies and the scientific community, and
through the reuse of equipment developed for ESA's Rosetta
mission. Some of the scientific instruments also had a heritage
from the unsuccessful Russian Mars 96 mission.

With its complement of seven instruments, Mars Express was
designed to study all aspects of the Red Planet, including its
atmosphere and climate, and the mineralogy and geology of the
surface and subsurface. It also carried a British-built lander,
known as Beagle 2, which was released on 19 December 2003, six
days before Mars Express braked into orbit around Mars.

Since beginning science operations in 2004, the durable orbiter
has given scientists an entirely new view of Earth???s intriguing
neighbour.

Highlights from 10 years of Mars Express. /Credit: ESA/. (Click
here
<http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=51852>
for larger versions of this video.)

Perhaps the most high profile results have come from the high
resolution camera, which has sent back thousands of dramatic, 3D
views of the Martian surface, covering everything from immense
volcanoes and steep-walled canyons to dry river valleys, ancient
impact craters and ever-changing polar ice caps.

Despite the planet???s current aridity, water has been a major focus
of the investigations by Mars Express. One instrument has
discovered hydrated minerals that form only in the presence of
liquid water, providing confirmation that Mars was once much
wetter than it is today, and demonstrating that conditions may ???
at least for a brief period - have been favourable for life to evolve.

The first radar sounder ever to orbit another planet has detected
subsurface layers of water ice. Another instrument has detected
enough water ice in the polar caps to create a global ocean 11 m
deep, and revealed vast plains of permafrost around the South Pole.

Not surprisingly, the planet???s carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere and
low temperature results in the formation of carbon dioxide (CO_2 )
clouds, as well as clouds made of water ice. Mars Express has
detected these at altitudes of around 80 km. Even more remarkable
was the discovery of a fleeting layer of clouds at altitudes of up
to 100 km - the highest clouds ever seen above any planetary surface.

In an endeavour to discover why the atmosphere is so thin and dry
today, Mars Express has studied the upper atmosphere and
ionosphere, detecting hydrogen and oxygen ions escaping into
space. New insights into the structure of the ionosphere include
the discovery of a new ???meteoric??? layer created by fast-moving
cosmic dust which burns up as it hits the atmosphere.

During the most complete study of the atmosphere???s chemical
composition, Mars Express has found indications of the possible
presence of methane, which on Earth is attributed to active
volcanism and biochemical processes.

Even studies of the billion-year-old volcanoes have resulted in
some surprises. Images suggest that some of them have been spewing
out lava within the last few million years, while their flanks
show evidence of being partially buried by glaciers in the
not-too-distant past.

Its highly elliptical orbit has enabled the spacecraft to look
beyond Mars, in order to survey its two tiny moons, particularly
the innermost satellite Phobos, which has been studied in
unprecedented detail. The revised mass and density data open up
the possibility that the interior of Phobos resembles a porous
sponge. Perhaps the satellite was accreted from debris in Martian
orbit, instead of being captured during a close encounter billions
of years ago.

Mars Express has also been an invaluable member of the
international effort to unravel the mysteries of Mars. During its
lifetime it has acted as a communication relay between Earth and
various NASA spacecraft, including the Phoenix lander and several
rovers on the surface.

The story of this remarkable mission has not yet reached its
conclusion. As the mission continues into its second decade, more
discoveries can be expected in the future. This legacy will
prepare the way for future missions, including ESA???s next missions
to the Red Planet: the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which is
scheduled for launch in January 2016, and the ExoMars rover, which
should follow in 2018.

Meanwhile, you can read more about some of the major discoveries
made during 10 marvellous years of Mars Express on the following
pages:

Mars Express: top 10 discoveries, 2003-2013*

#1. Hydrated minerals <http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51821> ???
evidence of liquid water on Mars

#2. Possible detection of methane
<http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51822>in the atmosphere

#3. Identification of recent glacial landforms
<http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51823>

#4. Probing the polar regions <http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51824>

#5. Recent and episodic volcanism
<http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51825>

#6. Estimation of the current rate of atmospheric escape
<http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51826>

#7. Discovery of localised auroras
<http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51827>on Mars

#8. A new, meteoric layer <http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51828>
in the martian ionosphere

#9. Unambiguous detection of carbon dioxide clouds
<http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51829>

#10. Unprecedented probing of Phobos
<http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=51830>
Received on Mon 03 Jun 2013 12:26:57 PM PDT