The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
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Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
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Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The radargram in the upper panel of this image composite shows the subsurface of a unit of the Medusae Fossae Formation. The Medusae Fossae are mysterious deposits that form hills in the northern lowlands of Mars as seen in the bottom image. The top image is a time delay rendering of the radar waves emitted by Mars Express' MARSIS sounder showing subsurface echoes reflected back to the spacecraft.
These echoes from the subsurface are correlated with the projection of the lowland plains beneath the Medusae Fossae Formation deposits. The electrical properties inferred from the data suggest these deposits may be ice-rich.