How to hide behind a planet 27 March 2014 How can the Mars Express spacecraft avoid a blizzard of microscopic dust particles as comet Siding Spring passes close to Mars? It can't - but it can minimise exposure by smart adjustments of its orbit. Read more
Mars Express, so called because of the rapid and streamlined development time, represents ESA's first visit to another planet in the Solar System. The spacecraft borrows technology from the failed Mars 96 mission and from ESA's Rosetta mission that is currently en route to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The mission helps to answer fundamental questions about the geology, atmosphere, surface environment, history of water and potential for life on Mars.
Esa's Mission To The Red Planet - The Mars Express Blog
Mars Express heading towards daring flyby of Phobos 23 December 2013 Late this month, ESA's Mars Express will make the closest flyby yet of the Red Planet’s largest moon Phobos, skimming past at only 45 km above its surface. Read more
A seasonal ozone layer over the Martian south pole 29 September 2013 For the past decade, ESA's Mars Express orbiter has been observing atmospheric structure on the Red Planet. Among its discoveries is the presence of three separate ozone layers, each with its own characteristics. A new comparison of spacecraft data with computer models explains how global atmospheric circulation creates a layer of ozone above the planet's southern winter pole. Read more
ESA SP-1323: ESA's Report to the 39th COSPAR Meeting 30 June 2012 The 39th meeting of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) was held 14-22 July 2012 in Mysore, India. This report to COSPAR on the scientific activities of the European Space Agency was written by members of the Directorate of Earth Observation, the Directorate of Human Spaceflight and Operations and the Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration. Read more