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Craft show

By Ron Cowen

The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, which has orbited the Red Planet since 1997, has captured images of two other emissaries from Earth. Images of the European Space Agency’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Odyssey mark the first time that a spacecraft orbiting a planet other than Earth has recorded pictures of other craft circling the same outpost.

IN PLAIN VIEW. The Mars Odyssey spacecraft, as seen by a camera on the Mars Global Surveyor. Malin Space Science Systems, JPL/NASA

Mars Express, which arrived at the Red Planet last year, was passing about 250 kilometers away when a camera on Surveyor took its picture on April 20.

On the next day, the camera on Surveyor caught Mars Odyssey twice, at distances of 90 and 134 km. Odyssey has orbited Mars since 2001. NASA released the images on May 19.

A version of this article appears in the June 4, 2005 issue of Science News.

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