ESA Confirms Mars Express Payload
 Paris - November 15, 1999 - The Science Programme Committee of the European Space Agency at its meeting on 9-10 November 1999 re-confirmed the payload of the Mars Express mission as approved in May 1998, with two important additions:

  • an Infrared channel, which was added to the SPICAM, UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (PI: J.-L. Bertaux). In the light of the loss of NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter, the new SPICAM configuration allows the recovery of a good part of the science objectives previously addressed by the Mars Climate Orbiter.

  • a Super Resolution Channel (SRC), added to the HRSC, High-resolution Stereo Colour Imager (PI: G. Neukum). This new channel will allow the collection of images at unprecedented resolution, which will create a reference database for many years to come.

    Another important element of the payload was also confirmed. Following the positive outcome of various reviews, both at UK and European level, the UK Mars lander Beagle-2 was considered sufficently mature, both technically and financially, to commence Phase C/D in January 2000. The confirmation by SPC, as requested by the UK SPC delegation, comes in advance of the previously planned date (February 2000). As a consequence, the development of the entire Mars Express payload, Orbiter and Lander, can proceed in full harmony.

  • Beagle 2 Home
  • Mars Express
  • The journey to Mars
  • The search for water and life

    EARTH INVADES MARS
     British Parliament Sends The Beagles To Mars
     London - August 4, 1999 - The UK government has backed the the Mars Express lander, Beagle 2, with an extra $8 million that firmly puts the project on track to secure full funding from a mixture of public and private sources. ESA selected Beagle 2 for its 2003 mission to Mars, Mars Express, on condition that the technical feasibility of the lander, and a finance package and development plan to build and deliver it respecting the time schedule, can be demonstrated by November.

  • Starsem To Launch Mars Express
  • Europe Wants Mars Express
  • Mars Express Opens New European Space Age
  • Mars Express To Examine Mars Atmosphere

    SPACE.WIRE