25 Dez 2003 Jahr - Mars Express arrives in orbit around the Red Planet

Beschreibung:

Mars Express – the first planetary mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) – was launched on 2nd June 2003, along with a British-designed lander called Beagle 2, from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. The mission aimed to study the Martian atmosphere and surface from orbit and deploy Beagle 2 to perform exobiology and geochemistry research.

"Express" originally referred to the speed and efficiency with which the spacecraft was designed and built. However, "Express" also described the spacecraft's relatively short interplanetary voyage, a result of being launched when the orbits of Earth and Mars brought them closer than they had been in 60,000 years.

After a six-month journey, the spacecraft entered Mars' orbit on 25th December 2003. Unfortunately, the Beagle 2 lander failed to properly deploy on the surface and was unable to communicate.

Despite this, Mars Express went on to become extremely successful, remaining operational for decades. Its high-resolution stereo camera and mineralogical mapping spectrometer, among other instruments, provided detailed insights into Martian geology, climate, and the potential for life, contributing significantly to scientists' understanding of the Red Planet.

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