ASU-IPF-2889

	ASU-IPF-2889 PR Set: 2008-09 #2889 Image Title: Potential Phobos-Grunt Landing Site Original Source #:SEMOG38N9JF Mission: Mars Express (HRSC) Instrument: Stereo Channel 1 ASU-IPF-2889.jpg (117 KB) quick view ASU-IPF-2889.tif (20.81 MB)

In observing Phobos, Mars Express benefits from its highly elliptical orbit which takes it from a closest distance of 270 km from the planet to a maximum of 10,000 km (from the center of Mars), crossing the 6,000 km orbit of the martian moon. Mars Express imaged the far-side of Phobos (with respect to Mars) for the first time after NASA’s Viking mission in the 1970’s, by flying outside the spacecraft’s orbit around Mars.

Phobos-Grunt (roughly translated as Phobos soil), a Russian sample-return mission, is due for launch in 2009. It is expected to land on the far-side of Phobos at a region between 5° south to 5° north, and 230° west to 235° west.

HRSC Stereo Channel 1 image of Phobos with a resolution of 3.7 m/pixel at its best. The inset to the right shows the potential landing region and sites for the Russia’s Phobos-Grunt sample return mission, due for launch in 2009.