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The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Mars Express is so called because it will be built more quickly than any other comparable planetary mission. Beagle 2 was named after the ship in which Charles Darwin sailed when formulating his ideas about evolution.
Prime contractor:
Astrium, Toulouse, France, leading a consortium of 24 companies from 15 European countries and the US
Launch date:
2 June 2003
Launcher:
Soyuz/Fregat, built by Starsem, the European/Russian launcher consortium
Launch mass:
1120 kg (including 113 kg orbiter payload and 60 kg lander)
Lander:
Beagle 2
Orbiter instruments:
High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC); Energetic Neutral Atoms Analyser (ASPERA); Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS); Visible and Infra Red Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA); Sub-Surface Sounding Radar Altimeter (MARSIS); Mars Radio Science Experiment (MaRS); Ultraviolet and Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM);
Spacecraft operations:
European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany
Ground stations:
ESA ground station in New Norcia, near Perth, Australia. Foreseen operational duration: One Martian year (687 Earth days) is funded. The spacecraft is designed for a further Martian year's operation.
Arrival at Mars:
December 2003
Lander mission management:
University of Leicester, UK
The Mars Express Orbiter will:
image the entire surface at high resolution (10 metres/pixel) and selected areas at super resolution (2 metres/pixel);
produce a map of the mineral composition of the surface at 100 metre resolution;
map the composition of the atmosphere and determine its global circulation;
determine the structure of the sub-surface to a depth of a few kilometres;
determine the effect of the atmosphere on the surface;
determine the interaction of the atmosphere with the solar wind.
The Beagle 2 lander was planned to:
determine the geology and the mineral and chemical composition of the landing site;
search for life signatures (exobiology);
study the weather and climate.
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