Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Phobos Flyby

The European Space Agency's Mars Express probe will soon pass within 28 miles of the Martian moon Phobos.  Unfortunately, the encounter will be too fast and too close to get good photos from a probe designed to study Mars, but by studying the gravitational effect Phobos has on the craft's orbit, scientists can learn more about the tiny moon's mass.

There are indications, in fact, that huge caverns exist under the surface of Phobos.  If that's accurate, such a cavern may be the ideal place for the first human base in the Martian system, as the surrounding rock would protect astronauts from harmful radiation.

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