2003-12-04 | MISSIONS
Crucial Moments on the Way to Mars

The European Space Agency's (ESA) first mission to Mars is scheduled to land on December 25 and has successfully passed its first check-up after the massive solar storms earlier this month. The next task for Mars Express is to release the Beagle 2 lander on December 19. Because Beagle 2 has no propulsion system of its own, Mars Express will have to release the lander at precisely the right time in order to propel it toward its landing site on Mars. After releasing Beagle 2, Mars Express will change course in order to enter into orbit around the Red Planet.

When the Beagle 2 lander reaches the surface of Mars it will begin its mission to search for signs of past and present life. Mars Express will also perform a number of valuable observations from orbit, including mapping the mineral composition at the planet's surface and studying the atmosphere's interaction with the Martian environment and the solar wind. Understanding the Martian environment and the potential for life on Mars are important goals of astrobiology.

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