Cerberus Fossae Trough
Summary (Mar 05, 2004): Today's images from Mars include: Cerberus Fossae Trough and THEMIS Images as Art #24 (Released 4 March 2004), from the Mars Global Surveyor and 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecrafts.

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Cerberus Fossae Trough

Images released by the orbiting instruments around Mars.

THEMIS Images as Art #24 (Released 4 March 2004)

THEMIS Images as Art #24 (Released 4 March 2004) Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Arizona State University

Left: Mars 2001 Odyssey, Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Team

Cerberus Fossae Trough

Cerberus Fossae Trough MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-656, 5 March 2004 Image Credit: Mars Global Surveyor, Malin Space Systems

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a trough in the Cerberus region of Mars formed by faults as the crust in this area was pulled apart. The trough walls and floor have a few large boulders on them, and some large windblown ripples are also present. The image is located near 9.1 degrees N, 197.1 degrees W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.

About the Missions

By launching the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft in November 1996, NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory began America's return to Mars after a 20-year absence. The Surveyor spacecraft is a rectangular-shaped box with wing-like projections extending from opposite sides. When fully loaded with propellant at the time of launch, the spacecraft weighed only 1,060-kilograms (2,342 pounds). The spacecraft travelled nearly 750 million kilometers (466 million miles) over the course of a 300-day cruise to reach Mars on September 11, 1997. During mapping operations, the spacecraft circled Mars once every 118 minutes at an average altitude of 378 kilometers (235 miles). After mapping finishes, the spacecraft will function as a communications satellite to relay data back to Earth from surface landers launched as part of future Mars missions.

2001 Mars Odyssey launched on April 7, 2001, and arrived at Mars on October 24, 2001. The mission is mapping the amount and distribution of chemical elements and minerals that make up the Martian surface. The spacecraft especially looks for hydrogen, most likely in the form of water ice, in the shallow subsurface of Mars. One of its three primary instruments is called THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System), for determining the distribution of minerals, particularly those that can only form in the presence of water. It also provides the communications relay for U.S. and international landers, including missions in NASA's Mars Program, the Mars Exploration Rovers. The name "2001 Mars Odyssey" was selected as a tribute to the vision and spirit of space exploration as embodied in the works of renowned science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.

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Related Web Pages

NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Malin Space Systems
Mars Global Surveyor
Arizona State THEMIS
Mars 2001 Odyssey

Note: Imagery: [2004-03-05]

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Friday, March 05, 2004