Posted by tourdemars to Mars Express at December 3, 2003 12:00 PM

European space officials on Wednesday showed off the first pictures of Mars sent back by the Mars Express spacecraft as it heads for a Christmas rendezvous with the red planet. The pictures, taken from 5,4 million kilometres away, aren't top quality, but they do prove that the spacecraft's German-made HRSC high-resolution camera is in working order before it begins orbiting Mars and snapping pictures close up.