Article Posted on : - Mar 15, 2010

The image, captured by the Mars Express, shows the landing sites for the forthcoming Phobos-Grunt mission. An ESA Photo

PARIS (BNS): Images of Martian moon Phobos, captured by European Space Agency's Mars Express during its flyby on March 7, have been released by the space agency.

The images show Phobos – the larger of the two moons of the Red Planet – in an exquisite detail. They also show the proposed landing sites for the forthcoming Phobos-Grunt mission to be sent by Russia in 2011to collect soil from the planet for study on Earth.

The Mars Express spacecraft, sent by ESA in 2003, orbits the planet in a highly elliptical, polar orbit that brings it close to Phobos every five months. It is the only spacecraft currently in orbit around Mars whose orbit reaches far enough from the planet to provide a close-up view of Phobos, according to ESA.

The spacecraft made a flyby of Phobos three times in March – on 7, 10 and 13 – and collected data along with other instruments.

Mars Express will continue to encounter Phobos until the end of March, when the moon will pass out of range. During the remaining flybys, the High Resolution Stereo Camera and other instruments will continue to collect data, ESA said.