ESA's first mission to Mars will be on its way to the Red Planet in one year from now. It will carry the sophisticated instruments to confirm the presence of water and/or ice on Mars, and to search for traces of past life. This programme provides a short overview of the mission and features some new 3-D computer graphics.
The 5-minute A-roll contains split audio with an English guide track and is complemented by a B-roll with international sound only.

A-Roll Script
00:40
The Red Planet has always been a source of intrigue and fascination. It is the only planet in the solar system on which there is a strong possibility of finding life - past, or perhaps present. And it is a prime candidate for future manned exploration, and even colonisation. The ""Red Planet"", is named after the Roman god of war because it commonly appears with a reddish tinge when viewed in our sky.
01:07
The surface looks hostile. There are spectacular mountains three times as tall as Mount Everest, canyons three times as deep and five times as long as the Grand Canyon, vast ice fields and thousands of kilometres of features that are reminiscent of dry river beds on Earth.
01:25
In June 2003, Mars Express will set off on its six-month journey from the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan on board a Soyuz Fregat Launcher. This date is not a coincidence. In August 2003, just two month after the launch, Mars will make its closest approach to Earth for 17 years. Around that time, Mars Exp