Phobic encounter: European spacecraft to skim Martian moon

PARIS (AFP) — The European spacecraft Mars Express is to make a daring flyby of the Martian moon Phobos in the hope of gaining insights into its enigmatic surface, temperature and geological past, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Wednesday.

On July 23, the unmanned craft will swoop to within just 97 kilometres (60 miles) of Phobos, using a battery of instruments, including a high-resolution stereo camera, infra-red scanner and atmospheric spectrometer.

A programme of five flybys have been scheduled by Mars Express. The first, on July 12, took place at an altitude of 563 kilometres (351 miles).

The second, on Thursday July 17, entails an altitude of 273 kms (170 miles). The two others, on July 28 and on August 3, will have a closest approach of 361 and 664 kms (225 ...