Express | Mars

The scientific performance of the orbiter depends on seven core remote sensing and in-situ instruments:

For over two decades, a stalwart spacecraft has been circling the Red Planet, fundamentally changing our understanding of Martian geology, climate, and the potential for ancient life. While rovers like Perseverance and Curiosity grab headlines for their surface exploits, the silent, tireless workhorse above them is the orbiter. Launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), this mission is not only Europe’s first independent trip to another planet but also one of the most successful and long-lasting interplanetary missions in history. Mars Express

Launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on June 2, 2003, Mars Express was Europe’s first independent mission to another planet. Its name, “Express,” refers not only to the speed of its journey—taking just six months to reach Mars—but also to the relatively short time from concept to launch, made possible by reusing design elements from ESA’s Rosetta and Mars 96 missions. The scientific performance of the orbiter depends on

The Mars Express Odyssey: Two Decades of European Deep Space Exploration Launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on