• ESA uses cookies to track visits to our website only, no personal information is collected.
    By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. OK
    Find out more about our cookie policy.
    • → European Space Agency

    • About Science & Technology

    • For Public

    • For Educators

    • ESA

    • Science & Technology

    • Mars Express

    • Missions
    • Show All Missions
    • Mission Home
    • Summary
    • Fact Sheet
    • Objectives
    • Mission Team
    • Background Science
    • The Ages of Mars
    • Martian Interior
    • Martian Surface
    • Phobos
    • Science Results
    • Science highlights from Mars Express
    • Spacecraft…

      • Spacecraft
      • 3D Model
      • Engineering
    • Instruments…

      • Design
      • Objectives
    • Mission Operations…

      • Launch Vehicle
      • Launch Phase
      • Cruise Phase
    • Science Operations
    • Data Archive
    • Planetary Science Archive
    • Resources
    • News Archive
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Publication Archive
    • Calendar of Events
    • Services
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • RSS feed
    • Terms and Conditions

    Crossing of the Mars Express and Phobos orbits

    Date: 15 February 2010
    Satellite: Mars Express
    Depicts: Diagram of the Mars Express and Phobos orbits
    Copyright: ESA

    On 3 March 2010, Mars Express performs its closest flyby ever of Mars' innermost moon Phobos.

    This diagram shows the orbits of Phobos and Mars Express around Mars, with the point where the orbits cross indicated at top left.

    The orbit of Phobos lies virtually in Mars' equatorial plane and is indicated in yellow.

    Mars Express is in a polar orbit. Several revolutions are depicted here, with the colour indicating the parts that are over the northern hemisphere (white) and the southern hemisphere (blue) of Mars. Because the orbit of Mars Express evolves, with the line of apsides drifting, sequential revolutions do not overlap.


    Last Update: 27 September 2013

    • Shortcut URL
    • http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=46488
    • Latest Selection
    • Elongated cloud on Mars – 10 October
    • Elongated cloud on Mars – 10 October (annotated)
    • Mars elongated cloud – 21 September
    • Also Available As
    • 1588 × 1253
      < 1 MB
       
    • 1588 × 1253
      5.7 MB
       
    • See Also
    • Mars Express to make closest ever approach to Phobos

    Connect with us

    • RSS
    • Youtube
    • Twitter
    •  Flickr
    • Google+
    • Livestream
    • Subscribe
    • Twitter-2

    Follow ESA science