This is a picture by an artist of the Mars Express spacecraft in orbit around Mars.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy the European Space Agency (ESA)
Mars Express Orbiter
The European Space Agency (ESA) launched a mission to Mars in
June of 2003. The mission is called "Mars Express". The Mars
Express spacecraft has two parts. One part will orbit Mars
for at least one Martian year. A year
on Mars lasts 687 Earth days, so it is longer than a year on Earth.
The second part of Mars Express is a lander
named "Beagle 2".
Mars Express is looking for life on Mars. Scientists
don't know whether Mars has life or
not. If Mars does have life, it is probably some kind of microbe that
lives in
water. So scientists are looking for water on Mars. Mars doesn't have
any lakes, rivers, or seas. But Mars might have water
underground. Mars Express has a radar that can look through rocks.
Scientists hope to find water underground with that radar.
Mars Express has cameras that will take many pictures of Mars. Scientists
will make a map of the planet from those pictures. Another type of camera
on Mars Express will take pictures that show different types of minerals on
the surface of Mars.
The spacecraft will also study the atmosphere
of Mars. Mars has different
seasons, like Earth. Scientists want to see how Mars' atmosphere changes
from season to season.
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