Embark on an extraordinary virtual journey across the Martian landscape with a captivating new video created from data gathered by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express mission. This breathtaking flyover offers an unprecedented close-up look at Ares Vallis, a colossal channel carved into the Martian surface, revealing clues to the planet’s watery past and the tantalizing possibility of past life.
The video begins with a sweeping view of Mars from orbit, then zooms in on Oxia Palus, a vast region spanning over 300,000 square miles. This area is home to the impressive Ares Vallis, one of Mars’s longest outflow channels, stretching over 1,000 miles. The journey meticulously traces significant landmarks, providing a detailed exploration of this captivating Martian region.
Our virtual tour starts at the Pathfinder landing site, where NASA’s Sojourner rover made history in 1997. From there, the camera glides along Ares Vallis, showcasing the dramatic terrain shaped by ancient water flows. Scientists are particularly interested in these channels as they are considered prime indicators of past water activity on Mars, providing vital insights into where water once existed, and consequently, where life may have potentially flourished.
The tour then reveals two prominent craters: Masursky and Sagan. Evidence of water erosion is clearly visible on the rim of Masursky crater, likely caused by water flowing from the nearby Tiu Valles system. Furthermore, Masursky displays intriguing ‘chaos terrain’—a jumbled landscape of ridges and plains—a geological feature characteristic of areas where subsurface water has suddenly erupted onto the surface, destabilizing the ground and creating this fragmented terrain. This is described by ESA as a situation where “the resulting loss of support from below causes the surface to slump and break into blocks of various sizes and shapes.”
Throughout the journey, numerous craters show further evidence of past water presence, the direction of the water’s flow clearly visible in the sculpted shapes etched into the Martian surface. Finally, the video reaches the Oxia Planum, a smooth plain designated as the landing site for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover, scheduled to launch in 2028. The camera then pulls back, showcasing the entirety of this mesmerizing region in all its geological splendor.
This video provides not just a visually stunning experience, but also a valuable scientific tool. By observing the features visible in Ares Vallis and the surrounding area, scientists can piece together a more complete picture of Mars’s geological history and the potential for life beyond Earth. The details revealed in this Martian flyover are sure to ignite further exploration and understanding of our planetary neighbor and its secrets waiting to be uncovered.
