Projects: Space Information
The Planetary Report
Volume XXVII, Number 2, March/April 2007
Credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin (G. Neukum) |
On the Cover
The European Space Agency's Mars Express captured this image -- a mosaic
of overlapping images gathered during five separate orbits of Galle crater,
also known informally as "Happy Face" crater. The impact crater is
located on the eastern rim of the Argyre Planitia impact basin near 51 degrees
south latitude and 329 degrees east longitude. A large stack of layered sediments
forms an outcrop in the southern part of the crater (lower part of the image).
Several parallel gullies, possible evidence of liquid water on the Martian
surface, originate at the inner crater walls of the southern rim. The friendly "face" was
first pointed out in images taken by NASA's Viking 1 orbiter in 1976.
From The Editor
When The Planetary Society was founded in 1980, there were two spacefaring
powers: the Soviet Union and the United States. In 1986, while the United States
sat on the sidelines, the Soviet Union sent VEGA to Halley’s comet, Japan
sent two smaller craft, and the European Space Agency (ESA) sent Giotto, whose
amazing images of Halley’s nucleus transformed our view of comets. Precocious,
the European Space Agency was, in its first planetary mission.
Now, Europe has reached a robust maturity
in space exploration. Last year, we reported in
detail on the Huygens probe at Titan, but we’ve
parceled out coverage of ESA’s Mars Express.
Huygens’ data-collecting life lasted less than
four hours, and the data were returned to Earth
almost immediately, so summarizing the first
results was relatively easy.
As for Mars Express . . . it arrived at Mars in
2003, and the mission has been extended twice --
and the spacecraft is still working. It carries seven
instruments, the mission team is spread over
a continent, and we at the Society have a small
staff. Nevertheless, A.J.S. Rayl has been tirelessly
covering Mars Express for our website since its
launch and has written a comprehensive story of
the mission for The Planetary Report, laying out
its few glitches and many, many successes.
Rosetta, on its way to comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, made news before it even
got close to its target. Flying by Mars, it picked up a
gravitational boost and returned some spectacular
pictures you’ll see in this issue.
Space exploration is truly an international
adventure -- one the international Planetary
Society’s members helped make happen.
Be proud and enjoy the fruits.
—Charlene M. Anderson
Features
In the Dark at the Red Planet
by Doug Ellison
Europe's First Trip to Mars
by A. J. S. Rayl
Annual Report to our Members
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Departments
World Watch
We Make It Happen!
Questions and Answers
Society News
Members’ Dialogue
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