ESA Mars Express Mission Update

[dreada5]

<b>Ice lake found on the Red Planet </b><br /><br />http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMGKA808BE_0.html<br /><br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4727847.stm<br /><br />Absolutely amazing images!! Go get 'em! <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Surprised this isn't a big story up at space.com yet!!

 

[dreada5]

This has just gotta be the location of the first human mars base, don't ya think?!

 

[no_way]

This is a pretty frickin amazing image.<br /><br />Damn, imo this is the most significant find since beginning of mars exploration.<br /><br />How about a tech demonstrator ISRU plant to be landed there ? A martian sample return mission with ISRU fuel ? <br /><br />EDIT: <br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The HRSC on ESA's Mars Express obtained this perspective view on 2 February 2005 during orbit 1343 <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />WTH is up with that ? How come it took so long to get noticed or get released ?

 

[dreada5]

Hey, I was wondering about that too. I mean I know it takes a while to process all the images Express captures and transmits but thats 5 months!

 

[larper]

This was posted here some time ago. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[wvbraun]

But the official release was yesterday. esa's PR department su*ks.

 

[dreada5]

Oh ok. Yeah well, that is bad. Still amazing images, wasn't there are story up at Space.COM?

 

[chris_in_space]

New press release from ESA. MARSIS collects first data about the surface and the ionosphere.<br />It's interesting to hear they don't use the third boom yet even though it was successfully deployed in June (wasn't it?).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's ESA's press release:<br /><br />"<br />N° 38-2005: Mars Express radar collects first surface data<br /> <br /> <br />5 August 2005<br />Marsis, the sounding radar onboard ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft, is collecting the first data about the surface and ionosphere of Mars.<br /><br /> <br />This radar started its science operations on 4 July, the same day as its first commissioning phase ended. Due to the late deployment of Marsis, it was decided to split the commissioning, originally planned to last four weeks, into two phases; the second will take place in December. It has thus been possible to begin scientific observations with the instrument earlier than initially planned, while it is still Martian night-time. This is the best environmental condition for subsurface sounding, as in daytime the ionosphere is more ‘energised’ and disturbs the radio signals used for subsurface observations.<br /><br />As from the start of commissioning, the two 20m-long antenna booms have been sending radio signals towards the Martian surface and receiving echoes back. “The commissioning procedure confirmed that the radar is working very well and that it can be operated at full power without interfering with any of the spacecraft systems,” says Roberto Seu, Instrument Manager for Marsis, of University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, Italy.<br /><br />Marsis is a very complex instrument, capable of operating at different frequency bands. Lower frequencies are best suited to probing the subsurface, the highest frequencies are used to probe shallow subsurface depths, while all frequencies are suited to studying the surface and the upper atmospheric layer of Mars. “During commissioning we worked to test all transmission modes and optimise the radar's performance a

 

[cuddlyrocket]

The third boom isn't a transmitter, simply a receiver. It's used as a control to clarify the nature of any echoes received.

 

[chris_in_space]

Yes but they say that the third boom will only be calibrated in the second commissioning phase which starts in December. Which means that until then MARSIS will work only with two booms (even for receiving).<br />

 

[centsworth_II]

The third boom is used when interpreting signals bounced off rough terrain. The article mentions that they are currently investigating flat areas, so the the third boom is not necessary. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[flynn]

Mars Express mission extended<br /><br /> <br />22 September 2005<br />ESA’s Mars Express mission has been extended by one Martian year, or about 23 months, from the beginning of December 2005.<br /> <br />The decision, taken on 19 September by ESA’s Science Programme Committee, allows the spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet to continue building on the legacy of its own scientific success. <br />Co-ordinated from the beginning with the Mars science and exploration activities of other agencies, Mars Express has revealed an increasingly complex picture of Mars. <br /><br />Since the start of science operations in early 2004, new aspects of Mars are emerging day by day, thanks to Mars Express data. These include its present-day climate system, and its geological ‘activity’ and diversity. Mars Express has also started mapping water in its various states. <br /><br />Full story<br /><br />http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMUB08X9DE_index_0.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[bobvanx]

What is the vertical resolution of the MARSIS instrument? The recently released ionogram looks to me as though 12.5km is the interpolated value. Will a calibrated third boom improve on this?<br /><br />It seems to me that a resolution of two or three kilometers would be necessary in order to detect sub-surface ice boundaries and differentiate them from rough terrains, yet the data I've seen output is an order of magnitude too coarse.<br /><br />ESA sure takes their own sweet time releasing data products. Bah.

 

[JonClarke]

Most of the planet has not been mapped for water yet. Most of the time has been spent studying the ionosphere. So your pleasure is premature.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[brellis]

I thought I'd give this thread a *bump*. Clicking around the ESA pages, I've noticed some improvements such as this Status Report.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">At the request of NASA, Mars Express, via its HRSC imaging instrument, is currently performing a search for the MGS spacecraft which was recently declared lost.</font>- maybe they'll have better luck than MRO did looking for MGS. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>