NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection

Valles Marineris from Mars Express

Looking down from orbit on January 14, ESA's Mars Express [ http://sci.esa.int/…] spacecraft scanned a 1700 by 65 kilometer swath across Valles Marineris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] - the Grand Canyon of Mars - with its remarkable High Resolution Stereo Camera. This spectacular picture [ http://www.esa.int/…SEMWF0474OD_1.html#s ubhead1 ] reconstructs part of the scanned region from the stereo colour image data recording the rugged terrain with a resolution of 12 metres per pixel. Joining Mars Global Surveyor [ http://marsprogram.…] and Mars Odyssey [ http://marsprogram.…], Mars Express [ http://sci.esa.int/…index.cfm?fobjectid= 31388 ] has been orbiting the red planet since December 25th, returning scientific data, acting as a communications relay, and even making coordinated [ http://www.esa.int/…SEM8XX374OD_0.html ] atmospheric observations with NASA's Spirit rover [ http://marsrovers.j…] on the surface. The Beagle 2 [ http://www.beagle2.…] lander was released from Mars Express making a landing attempt also on December 25th, but no signal has been received so far.

Opportunity Mars Landing News [ http://www.jpl.nasa…]

Mars Express [ http://www.esa.int/…index.html ], ESA [ http://www.esa.int/…], DLR [ http://www.dlr.de/], FU Berlin [ http://www.fu-berli…] (G. Neukum)

Mars

Berlin

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Mars

Surveyor

STEREO

Opportunity

Spirit

Beagle 2

Mars Express

Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)

http://antwrp.gsfc.…

SPD-APOD-ap040124