Mars craft pictures Earth and Moon in true colours
From a distance of eight million kilometres, the Earth and its Moon make a lonely couple in the vast emptiness of space.
The dramatic picture was taken by Europe’s Mars Express spacecraft on its way to the Red Planet.
Mission controllers pointed the spacecraft’s high-resolution stereo camera towards the Earth as they carried out instrument checks.
The image shows true colours, revealing the blue Pacific Ocean and white and grey clouds.
Gerhard Neukum, from the Free University of Berlin, who is in charge of the camera, said: “The pictures and the information provided by the data prove the camera is working very well.
“They provide a good indication of what to expect once the spacecraft is in its orbit around Mars, at altitudes of only 250 to 300 kilometres – very high resolution images with brilliant true colour and in 3D.”
The European Space Agency mission was launched from Kazakhstan on June 2. It carries Britain’s Beagle 2 lander, which will test for signs of life on the surface of Mars.
Mars Express is due to reach the Red Planet in December, when Beagle 2 will detach from the mothercraft and parachute down to the surface. The landing is scheduled for Christmas Day,
The Earth and Moon picture was taken on July 3 and released last week.
Other instruments on board Mars Express were also working perfectly, said scientists.
Data was received from the Omega spectrometer, designed to provide the best map obtained so far of the molecular and mineral composition of Mars.
Omega accurately detected major and minor constituents of Earth’s atmosphere, including oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, ozone and methane.
The instrument’s chief scientist, Jean Pierre Bibring, from the Institute of Space Astrophysics in Orsay, France, said: “The sensitivity demonstrated by Omega on these Earth spectra should reveal really minute amounts of water in both Martian surface materials and atmosphere.”
Instrument testing will continue throughout the 400 million kilometre journey to Mars.
Beagle 2 has also successfully undergone a series of instrument checks.
ESA’s Mars Express Project scientist Agustin Chicarro said: “As in all space missions, little problems have arisen, but they have been carefully evaluated and solved. Mars Express continues on its way to Mars performing beautifully.”
