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Mars Express Captures 'Coprates Catena'

Posted on: Thursday, 18 November 2004, 07:25 CST

ESA -- These images, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft, show the detailed structure of Coprates Catena, a southern part of the Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars.

The images were taken during orbit 438 with a ground resolution of approximately 43 metres per pixel. The displayed region covers an area centred at about latitude 14° South and longitude 301° East.

Coprates Catena is a chain of collapsed structures, which run parallel to the main valley Coprates Chasma.

These collapsed structures vary between 2500 and 3000 metres deep, which is far less than the depth of the main valley at 8000 metres. A few landslides can be seen on the valley walls.

The valley chains have no connection to the lowland plains as compared to the main valleys. This indicates that their origin is solely due to the expansion of the surface, or collapse, with removal of underlying material (possibly water or ice).

On the valley floor, brighter layers are exposed, which could be material of the same composition as seen in other parts of Valles Marineris, where sulphates have been measured by the OMEGA spectrometer instrument on board Mars Express.

Image resolution has been decreased for use on the internet. The colour images were processed using the HRSC nadir (vertical view) and three colour channels.

The perspective views were calculated from the digital terrain model derived from the stereo channels.

The 3D anaglyph image was created from the nadir channel and one of the stereo channels. Stereoscopic glasses are needed to view the 3D image.

About Mars Express

The intrepid spacecraft began its six-month journey from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan on board a Russian Soyuz/Fregat launcher.
 
Having escaped the Earth\'s pull, Mars Express was sent on course for the Red Planet, cruising at a velocity of 10 800 kilometres and hour, relative to Earth. Six days before arrival on 25 December 2003, Mars Express ejected the Beagle 2 lander which was to have made its own way to the correct landing site on the surface.

Image credit: ESA

Perspective view of Coprates Catena. Image credit: ESA

3-D image of Coprates Catena. Image credit: ESA

Another perspective view of Coprates Catena. Image credit: ESA

The orbiter successfully entered Martian orbit on 25 December. First it manoeuvred into a highly elliptical capture orbit from which it moved into its operational near polar orbit later in January 2004.

 
Mars Express will remain in orbit around the Red Planet for at least one Martian year, 687 Earth days, which is the nominal mission lifetime.

During this time, the point of the orbit closest to Mars (pericentre) will move around to give the scientific instruments coverage of the entire Martian surface at all kinds of viewing angles.

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On the Net:

European Space Agency

Mars Express Mission

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