Mars Express Orbiter Finally Turns On Deep Ground-Penetrating Radar

June 23, 2005   Darmstadt, Germany - I learned something amazing today from the Mars Express Orbiter Spacecraft Operations Manager. He is Michel Denis based at the European Space Agency's office in Darmstadt, Germany. I was getting an update about the plans for the deep ground-penetrating radar on ESA's Mars Express Orbiter which was turned on for the first time at 3 p.m. Pacific. The amazing fact I learned was that a month ago on May 7th, the Mars Express Orbiter and NASA's two spacecraft, the Odyssey and the Mars Global Surveyor ­ could have collided!