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Mars Express

Europe's first mission to Mars, in orbit since December 2003. Its stereo camera and radar have mapped the planet's surface, ice and atmosphere in detail.

ESA·Mars Orbit·Launched 2 June 2003·Active
—days —h —m —s in space
Distance from Earth
204.52 M km
1.367103 AU
Distance from Sun
239.77 M km
1.602746 AU
Speed
79,869 km/h
22.186 km/s
Signal Delay
11.4 min
one way

Europe's First Mars Mission

Mars Express has orbited Mars since 25 December 2003, far beyond the single Martian year it was planned for. Its High Resolution Stereo Camera has built up a 3D colour map of the planet, its spectrometers have studied minerals and the atmosphere, and in 2004 it reported traces of methane in the air.

Water and Ice

Mars Express confirmed water ice in the south polar cap, and its MARSIS radar has probed ice deposits below the surface. In 2018 the radar team reported bright reflections under the south polar ice that may come from liquid water, a finding scientists still debate.

Beagle 2

Mars Express carried the British-led Beagle 2 lander, which separated on 19 December 2003 but was never heard from after its planned landing on Christmas Day. In January 2015 it was found in images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, sitting on the surface with its solar panels only partly opened.

Mission Timeline

2 June 2003
Launch on a Soyuz-Fregat from Baikonur
19 December 2003
Releases the Beagle 2 lander
25 December 2003
Enters orbit around Mars; Beagle 2 is lost
January 2004
Confirms water ice at the south pole
July 2018
MARSIS radar reports a possible body of liquid water under the south polar ice

Key Data

MissionMars Express
AgencyESA
StatusActive
TargetMars Orbit
Launch date2 June 2003

Questions people ask

Mars Express is in orbit around Mars, 204.5 million km from Earth. Radio signals take 11 min 22 s to travel between the spacecraft and Earth.
It confirmed water ice at Mars's south pole and mapped ice below the surface with its MARSIS radar. In 2018 the radar team reported bright reflections under the south polar ice that may come from liquid water, a result scientists still debate.
The British-led Beagle 2 lander rode to Mars on Mars Express and separated on 19 December 2003, but was never heard from after its planned landing on 25 December. In January 2015 NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed it on the surface with its solar panels only partly opened.

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