Mars Express image of Schiaparelli’s landing site – with ellipse

The landing ellipse of Schiaparelli, the ExoMars Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module, is shown in this four-image High Resolution Stereo Camera mosaic of Meridiani Planum compiled from Mars Express data.

The mosaic consists of four orbit strips, 2064, 2075, 2086, 8423, taken on 23, 26 and 29 August 2005, and 1 August 2010 respectively, and covers a region 352.5°–356.5°E and 4.5°S–0.5°N. It was created using data from the nadir channel, the field of view of which is aligned perpendicular to the surface of Mars, and the colour channels of the HRSC.

To the north, smooth, flat plains are observed, with faint traces of ancient craters. Schiaparelli, the ExoMars Entry, Descent, and Landing Demonstrator Module, will target a flat region within the smooth plains, to the west of 22 km-wide Endeavour crater, close to the centre of this image.

Below and to the left is 19 km-wide Bopolu crater, which lies within the much larger Miyamoto crater. Parts of the northern rim of Miyamoto have since been buried, leaving only the southern portions clearly visible.

In the south and southeastern portions of the image in particular, a number of channels can be identified, carved by water flow in Mars’ past.