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ESA Life in Space Expanding Frontiers Improving Daily Life Protecting the Environment Benefits for Europe 02-Aug-2007 Multimedia Looking at Mars

ESA Multimedia gallery Earth images gallery Interplanetary networking: ESA’s Mars Express will keep Podcasting an eye on NASA’s Phoenix RSS feeds 1 August 2007 Mars Express highlights National galleries ESA’s Mars Express will keep an Water on Mars Media Centre eye on NASA’s Phoenix lander as it makes its way to the Martian Related articles Press Releases surface, setting an example for Relays from Mars Information Notes international cooperation and demonstrate international ESA Television interplanetary networking. interplanetary networking

Exhibitions The origin of perennial Phoenix’s launch is scheduled for water-ice at the South Services 4 August this year and it is Pole of Mars Calendar expected to land on the Red Decoding Mars’s Cryptic Planet in the spring of 2008. The Publications Region Mars Express mission will investigate the Frequently asked Martian environment and will Mars Express and the story of water on Mars questions look beneath the frigid, arctic landscape in search of conditions ESA-sponsored favourable to past or present life. Rare high-altitude clouds

Conferences found on Mars At NASA’s request, ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft will be following Help Mars Express’s OMEGA Phoenix’s Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) phase. uncovers possible sites for Site Credits life Portal terms of use The critical part of the descent lasts about 13 minutes. During this time, the probe will transmit a continuous stream of information to two of Buried craters and Comments NASA’s satellites already orbiting the Red Planet. To be on the safe side, underground ice - Mars Express uncovers Subscribe NASA has requested Mars Express, which has been in orbit around Mars depths of Mars Search since December 2003, to also monitor the EDL phase. Mars Express evidence for All large aquifers on early Mars ESA Home Mars Express has been selected Mars Express radar GO since, in principle, its elliptical reveals complex structure Advanced Search orbit makes it possible for the in ionosphere of Mars spacecraft to have a continuous Mars Express discovers view of the lander and to new layer in Martian

communicate with it for longer ionosphere periods of time. Mars Express studies Mars Express will optimise its possible aurorae above orbit so that Phoenix is Mars continuously in view during the Related links EDL phase. The final orbit Phoenix at LPL, University adjustment required for Mars of Arizona Express will be determined a few Phoenix at NASA weeks after the launch of Phoenix. Final adjustments will Phoenix Mars Express instruments be made in April next year, just Choose a language before the Phoenix EDL phase. Article complet ESA’s Mars Express Mission Manager, Fred Jansen explains, “One of the Volledig artikel instruments on board Mars Express is the Mars Express Lander Koko tarina Communications system (MELACOM), designed to communicate with probes on the planet’s surface. Originally meant for communicating with Article complet the Beagle 2 lander, which was unfortunately lost, we can now use it to Article complet communicate with Phoenix.” Volledig artikel Hela historien Article complet

1 of 2 8/2/2007 11:06 AM ESA Portal - Interplanetary networking: ESA’s Mars Express will keep a... http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMWNCWUP4F_index_0.html

It is possible that the spacecraft will communicate with the lander, not only during EDL, but also for the remainder of the anticipated 90-day lifetime of the mission.

“NASA still has two other active probes on the Martian surface. When Phoenix joins the fleet around mid-2008, lots of data will have to be relayed back to Earth from the surface of Mars. If Phoenix we are asked to help out by channelling part of the communication through Mars Express, we will, of course, try to accomodate such a request" adds Jansen.

Apart from assistance during the EDL phase, NASA has also requested ESA to support the launch of Phoenix from its ground station in Kourou, French Guiana.

For more information:

Michel Denis, ESA Mars Express Spacecraft Operations Manager Email: Michel.Denis @ esa.int

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