The European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express is still uncovering new clues despite being old.
A new software upgrade to its Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument has led to a deeper look into Phobos, one of Mars' moons.
The MARSIS team is still at an early stage in their analysis. We have seen signs of previously unknown features below the moon. The role that MARSIS might play in finally resolving the mystery surrounding Phobos' origin is something we are excited about.
The moons of Mars are named after the Greek gods of fear and panic.
It is moon-like. They are both small, with Phobos being less than 17 miles in diameter and looking more like asteroids than a spherical moon.
The strange but fascinating characteristics, along with their suspected asteroid-like compositions, have split the astronomy community.
Colin Wilson of Mars Express said in the release that "whether Mars' two small moons are captured asteroids or made of material ripped from Mars during a collision is an open question." The way they travel around Mars suggests that they are not asteroids.
That is where Maris comes in. With an antenna over 130 feet long, MARSIS is able to shoot waves deep into Phobos' core. The waves that do make it past the surface bounce between the internal structures and the boundaries of different materials inside the mini-moon.
Scientists could see a better picture of Phobos' sub-surface structures, as well as its overall composition, if they examined these reflections. Scientists say there is evidence of fainter, "lower reflections" that could be signs of subterranean structures.
The Japanese Space Agency will be working with the European Space Agency to get to the bottom of the mystery by collecting samples from Phobos.
Scientists are trying to find good caves for astronauts to live in.
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