Fact Sheet
Reporting for Duty
Mars Express, a European spacecraft that entered orbit around Mars on Christmas Day, is ready to begin full science operations this week. The craft's radar system will begin looking for frozen or liquid water beneath the Martian surface. The radar's signal can penetrate several feet below the surface. Mars Express has already found that the planet's south polar cap contains a lot of water ice, as show in this image. The picture at left shows carbon dioxide ice in the pole, while the picture at right shows water ice. The bluer the color, the greater the concentration. The carbon dioxide ice sits atop the water ice. [Credit: ESA]
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