Tag Archives: ESA

HRSC: Frost-covered chaos in Hellas

Posted on December 1, 2014 by rburnham

Hellas Chaos, in the southern central part of the giant Hellas basin, stretches roughly 200 km north–south and for about 500 km in an east–west direction. It shows a variety of landforms, from large impact craters containing wind-blown dunes or … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Comet Siding Spring

Posted on November 4, 2014 by rburnham

Comet Siding Spring came extraordinarily close to Mars as it whizzed by on 19 October 2014. The celestial body – a mere 500 metres in diameter – passed the Red Planet at a distance of just 137 000 kilometres, where it … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Chaos in Atlantis basin

Posted on October 27, 2014 by rburnham

Mars is peppered with craters. Scientists have deduced that the red planet is struck by around 200 meteoroids every year that dig out new craters. While some small craters are fresh, Mars has a great many that are much larger … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Flight over chaotic terrain

Posted on October 20, 2014 by rburnham

Among the most interesting landforms on Mars are features referred to as ‘chaotic terrain’. Dozens or even hundreds of isolated mountains up to 2,000 m high are scattered in these extensive regions. Seen from orbit, they form a bizarre, chaotic … Continue reading →

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ExoMars 2018: Landing site shortlist chosen

Posted on October 1, 2014 by rburnham

ExoMars is a joint two-mission endeavour between ESA and Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. The Trace Gas Orbiter and an entry, descent, and landing demonstrator module, Schiaparelli, will be launched in January 2016, arriving at Mars nine months later. The Rover … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Hooke Crater in Argyre basin

Posted on September 19, 2014 by rburnham

Hooke Crater is located near the northern edge of the 1800 km-wide Argyre basin, one of the most impressive impact structures on Mars, excavated in a giant collision about 4 billion years ago. Sitting in a flat part of the … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Craters within the Hellas basin

Posted on August 18, 2014 by rburnham

Scarring the southern highlands of Mars is one of the Solar System’s largest impact basins: Hellas, with a diameter of 2300 km and a depth of over 7 km. Hellas is thought to have formed between 3.8 and 4.1 billion … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Perspective view of Hellespontus Montes

Posted on July 10, 2014 by rburnham

Perspective view of Hellespontus Montes, a rocky ridge on the western rim of the vast Hellas basin in the southern hemisphere of Mars. The foreground shows a close-up of a crater with a particularly interesting feature: wrinkles that form a … Continue reading →

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2016 Trace Gas Orbiter gets NASA Electra radio

Posted on July 2, 2014 by rburnham

The first of two NASA Electra radios that will fly aboard the European Space Agency’s next mission to Mars has been delivered for installation onto the ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). The TGO is being assembled at Thales Alenia … Continue reading →

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HRSC: Dune field in Rabe Crater

Posted on May 15, 2014 by rburnham

Rabe Crater is a 108 km-wide impact crater with an intricately shaped dune field. The dune material likely comprises locally eroded sediments that have been shaped by prevailing winds. Other smaller craters in the region also contain these dark deposits. … Continue reading →

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