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Credits: ESA - Illustration by Medialab

Mars Express is Europe's first mission to Mars. It consists of an orbiter housing seven instruments for remote sensing observations and and the Beagle-2 lander for on-the-spot measurements.

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Credits: ESA 2001. Illustration by Medialab.

Six days prior to arrival at the Red Planet, Mars Express released the Beagle-2 lander, which then make its own way to the landing site on Mars.

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Credits: Illustration by Medialab, ESA 2001

Most of the energy needed to propel Mars Express from Earth to Mars is provided by the four-stage Soyuz/Fregat launcher. The Fregat upper stage will separate from the spacecraft after placing it on a Mars-bound trajectory.

Size hi-res: 1509 kb

Credits: ESA/Medialab

The Beagle-2 lander, to be carried on ESA's Mars Express, is equipped with a suite of instruments designed to look for evidence of life on Mars.