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Timeline: Mars Express support to Phoenix landing

22 May 2008

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Mars Express left Earth for Mars on a six-month journey in June 2003, when the positions of the two planets made for the shortest possible route, a condition that occurs once every twenty-six months. The intrepid spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan onboard a Russian Soyuz/Fregat launcher. It completed the interplanetary cruise, achieving a velocity of 10 800 km/h relative to Earth, in December 2003. Since entering its operational, near-polar orbit, Mars Express has operated perfectly, delivering some of the most spectacular and scientifically valuable results ever received from the Red Planet.

Credits: ESA - Illustration by Medialab

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Animation showing artist's impression of Phoenix during the entry, descent and landing (EDL) phase on 26 May 2008. At the request of NASA, ESA's Mars Express monitored radio signals from Phoenix using the MELACOM lander communication system, orignally intended for use with the Beagle lander. The recorded data will serve as a useful and potentially crucial back-up to compare Phoenix's planned and actual descent profiles. Landing is planned for 23:38 UTC, 25 May, which is 01:38 CEST, 26 May.

Credits: NASA/JPL, Solar System Visualization and Daniel Maas, Maas Digital LLC

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