Europe's Mars Express Mission Reveals Grand Canyon-Sized ‘Scars Of Mars’

The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled a breathtaking set of images highlighting a vast scar on the surface of Mars.

Captured by the Mars Express orbiter's high-resolution stereo camera, these images reveal a 600-kilometer-long (373-mile-long) scar, which is even longer than the Grand Canyon.

The scar, called Aganippe Fossa, is a patchy, approximately 600-kilometer-long feature known as a 'graben', formed when tectonic forces stretch and crack a planet's crust, as explained by ESA.

The images also provide a detailed view of Mars' diverse surface features, showcasing both clustered, uneven hills and smooth, gently sloping cliffs covered in debris, referred to as hummocky and lobate terrains, respectively.

Mars Express, Europe's first Mars mission, has orbited the planet since 2003, imaging the surface, mapping minerals, analysing the atmosphere, and probing the crust. The mission is extended until at least the end of 2026.