DLR Portal - News Archive

Vesta – a planet-like asteroid

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:50:00 +0200

Even though it doesn’t quite qualify as a 'proper' planet, the second most massive asteroid in the Solar System, Vesta – which has a diameter of approximately 530 kilometres – exhibits numerous planetary characteristics. This is just one of the many significant results of NASA's Dawn mission, published in the journal Science on 11 May 2012. The Dawn spacecraft has been orbiting Vesta since 16 July 2011. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is involved in the mission.

SOFIA: Molecules and star formation in the Milky Way

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:40:50 +0200

GREAT results of the early science flights with SOFIA, the airborne observatory, puiblished in the European scientific journal 'Astronomy & Astrophysics'.

Mars Express – Former lakes and rivers in Acidalia Planitia

Thu, 03 May 2012 10:58:07 +0200

New images from the HRSC camera on board the Mars Express spacecraft show numerous dried up river valleys and various former crater lakes in the Acidalia Planitia region. They are further evidence of the existence of water on the surface of Mars for an extended period of time. Such areas are of particular interest to the search for microbial life, which may have developed here under these circumstances.

Mars Express - Pit chains on the Tharsis volcanic bulge

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:57:48 +0200

In the Tharsis volcanic region, almost the size of Europe, the Martian highlands have arched up into a shield several thousand metres in height as a consequence of volcanic processes. Quite a few unusual topographic features can be observed there.

TerraSAR-X image of the month – Lively winter view

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:46:25 +0100

Ice and snow can be colourful – at least when seen through the 'eyes' of the German Aerospace Center's (DLR) TerraSAR-X radar satellite. The radar signals are able to penetrate the snow cover to a depth of one metre – and the subsurface reflects the pulse in different ways.

Mars Express - The 8000-metre scarp of Ius Chasma

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:59:36 +0100

Ius Chasma is one of the main graben in Valles Marineris, one of the largest known canyon systems in the Solar System. Over a length of 940 kilometres, Ius Chasma forms the northern boundary between the western half of this enormous valley system and the Martian highlands.

Searching for life in the depths of Enceladus

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0100

Is there life under the icy crust of Enceladus? If Europe's plans for a future mission to Enceladus do become reality, German researchers would like to study this water source for traces of life.

Project NEOShield: Asteroid defence systems

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:40:00 +0100

It is not entirely clear when exactly the last major asteroid impact on Earth occurred. But there are plenty of examples of impact craters, such as the Nördlinger Ries in Bavaria.

Mars Express - A dark spot on Mars - Syrtis Major

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:53:40 +0100

Amateur astronomers who on occasion observe Mars through the eyepiece of their telescopes are quite familiar with the region of Syrtis Major; when observing conditions are good, it can be easily identified as a dark spot on Mars.

Mars Express: 'Wrinkle ridges' and grabens in Tempe Terra

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:57:59 +0100

Tempe Terra is located at the northeastern edge of the Tharsis volcanic region and forms the transition zone between the southern highlands and the northern lowlands.

Dawn spacecraft now in its lowest orbit around Vesta

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:20:00 +0100

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has been in its lowest orbit around asteroid Vesta since mid-December 2011. During November the orbit was gradually lowered to an altitude of 210 kilometres above the asteroid's surface.

Unusual flow patterns in Phlegra Montes

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:01:57 +0100

Phlegra Montes is a mountainous massif on Mars that extends for several hundreds of kilometres from the northeastern part of the Elysium volcanic region (between 30 and 50 degrees north) to deep into the northern lowlands.

Asteroid Vesta in 3D - seemingly close enough to touch

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:30:00 +0100

No asteroid or rocky planet looks quite like the asteroid Vesta, which the US Dawn spacecraft has been orbiting since July 2011; countless craters, furrows and slopes define the landscape of this celestial body. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has produced a 3D film from the imagery recorded by the cameras on board the spacecraft.

Curiosity - a heavyweight Mars explorer

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:40:00 +0100

The US 'Curiosity' rover began its journey to Mars at 16:02 CET on 26 November on board an Atlas V 541 / Centaur launcher that lifted off from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.