As the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ‘Mars Express’ spacecraft reached a distance of 1,000,000 kilometers from Earth, the first of the NASA-backed Mars Rovers remains grounded due to thunderstorms surrounding the launch site.
The two rovers, named ‘Spirit’ and ‘Opportunity,’ are scheduled to reach Mars in January 2004. These golf cart-sized explorers are specifically designed to study the Martian geology and search for past evidence of water.
The end of this year promises to be exciting for Mars exploration as the Beagle II, part of the Mars Express mission, is expected to arrive around Christmas.
The coordination between Mars Express and the NASA MER (Mars Exploration Rover) mission is not coincidental. A rare proximity between Mars and Earth at this time allows for more payload and faster transit, shortening the typical journey from 9 months to 7.
Both missions also employ the same landing approach: using airbags. Although it may sound risky, this technique has been proven successful in previous missions and significantly reduces the mass of the landing system.
Sources: ESA Mars Express, NASA MER