PREVIEW

PICTURE SHOWS: Artist impression of ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
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Spiders on Mars?

A giant blue hairy spider-like shape features in a showcase of images from the ESA-Roscosmos Trace Gas Orbiter.

Curious surface features, water-formed minerals, and even a sighting of the InSight lander showcase the impressive range of imaging capabilities of the craft.

The ESA-Roscosmos Trace Gas Orbiter, or TGO, launched three years ago today, on 14 March 2016. It arrived at Mars on 19 October that year, and spent over a year demonstrating the aerobraking technique needed to reach its science orbit, starting its prime mission at the end of April 2018.