| .....Mars
Express is a European Space Agency
mission to Mars. It consists of an
orbiter, the Mars Express Orbiter, and a
lander, Beagle 2. The scientific
objectives of the Mars Express Orbiter
are to obtain global high-resolution
photo-geology (10 m resolution),
mineralogical mapping (100 m resolution)
and mapping of the atmospheric
composition, study the subsurface
structure, the global atmospheric
circulation, and the interaction between
the atmosphere and the subsurface, and
the atmosphere and the interplanetary
medium. The Beagle 2 lander objectives
are to characterize the landing site
geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry,
the physical properties of the atmosphere
and surface layers, collect data on
martian meteorology and climatology, and
search for possible signatures of life. .....The Mars
Express Orbiter is a cube-shaped
spacecraft with two solar panel wings
extending from opposite sides. The launch
mass of 1042 kg consists of
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