The United Arab Emirates’ Mars probe has taken the first high-resolution images of Deimos, the smaller and lesser observed of Mars’ two moons. The images were released yesterday at the week-long European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna.
The Emirates Mars Mission, also known as Hope, was launched in July 2020 and arrived at Mars in February 2021. The probe carries three instruments: an ultraviolet spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer and a high-resolution imager.
The image above, taken on 10 March, shows Mars and the near-side of Deimos captured in their exact relative positions. According to Hope science lead Hessa Al Matroushi from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, the craft’s orbit allowed many flybys of Deimos that resulted in the clear images with the closest distance the probe came to the moon being 100 km.
“Because of our orbit we are able to take pictures not only from the near-side, but from the far side as well,” Al Matroushi told Physics World. “We are looking at Deimos from all sides.”
Data from Hope’s ultraviolet spectrometer matches that from Mars’ other moon – Phobos. This suggests that the two moons likely have their origins from breakoff matter from Mars, which has a basaltic make-up. United Arab Emirates’ Hope probe enters Martian orbit
The main aim of Hope is to study the atmosphere of Mars and the mission has been extended for one more year. Al Matroushi hopes to now observe the effects of the varying solar cycle on the planet.
Al Matroushi also expects Hope’s findings to benefit other missions such as Japan’s Martian Moon Exploration, which is set to launch next year and plans to study Phobos and Deimos as well as retrieve samples from Phobos.
“It is very important how missions can benefit one another,” adds Al Matroushi. “No one mission can do it all.”
