The decision to extend the three successful missions was made on February 4 of this year.
Mars Express -- global view of the Red Planet
Mars Express, launched in June 2003, has been orbiting the Red Planet since the end of 2003, and has produced a treasure of discoveries.
The first European mission to Mars, it has taken breathtaking, high-resolution images of the surface in 3D and in colour. The spacecraft carries the first radar instrument ever flown to Mars which has returned pioneering sub-surface sounding measurements that show underground water-ice deposits.
Mars Express has provided the first sub-surface sounding measurements thanks to the first radar instrument ever flown to Mars, and discovered underground water-ice deposits.
It has beamed back mineralogical evidence for the presence of liquid water throughout martian history and studied the density of the Martian crust in detail. It was also the first spacecraft to detect methane in the planet's atmosphere from orbit.
The spacecraft pioneered the detection of aurorae at mid latitudes, provided estimates on the rate at which Mars' atmosphere escapes into space, and studied the Martian moon Phobos at close quarters.
The mission has been extended twice in the past, the second extension lasting until May 2009. This third extension will make it possible to continue with the mission's extensive study of the Red Planet which includes, amongst others: the study of its subsurface, the observation of the upper atmospheric layers under varying solar conditions, observation of methane in the atmosphere, and high resolution mapping of its surface
Mars Express -- global view of the Red Planet
Mars Express, launched in June 2003, has been orbiting the Red Planet since the end of 2003, and has produced a treasure of discoveries.
The first European mission to Mars, it has taken breathtaking, high-resolution images of the surface in 3D and in colour. The spacecraft carries the first radar instrument ever flown to Mars which has returned pioneering sub-surface sounding measurements that show underground water-ice deposits.
Mars Express has provided the first sub-surface sounding measurements thanks to the first radar instrument ever flown to Mars, and discovered underground water-ice deposits.
It has beamed back mineralogical evidence for the presence of liquid water throughout martian history and studied the density of the Martian crust in detail. It was also the first spacecraft to detect methane in the planet's atmosphere from orbit.
The spacecraft pioneered the detection of aurorae at mid latitudes, provided estimates on the rate at which Mars' atmosphere escapes into space, and studied the Martian moon Phobos at close quarters.
The mission has been extended twice in the past, the second extension lasting until May 2009. This third extension will make it possible to continue with the mission's extensive study of the Red Planet which includes, amongst others: the study of its subsurface, the observation of the upper atmospheric layers under varying solar conditions, observation of methane in the atmosphere, and high resolution mapping of its surface
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