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Mars Express

active
Science ExplorationinterplanetaryCOSPAR 2003-022ALaunched 6/2/2003
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Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
Mars Express Mission
Launch Vehicle
Soyuz-FG Fregat
Launch Date
6/2/2003
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
interplanetary
Altitude
-52,008.5 km
Inclination
51.78 deg
Dry Mass
637 kg
Total Mass
1,152 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Science Exploration
Payload Category
PLAN
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
European Space Agency (ESA)
Manufacturer
Airbus Defence and Space
Registry
COSPAR ID
2003-022A
UN Registration
ST/SG/SER.E/432
Track
Mentions
18
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
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Mars 96’s scientific legacy continued through instrument teams that later contributed to Mars Express, which launched in 2003.

PlanCapabilityValue 2.0Apr 6, 2026Thirty years later, Mars 96 has not been found

Researchers combined high resolution color and stereo images from CaSSIS, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to reconstruct the ancient Martian ocean.

GeneralCapabilityValue 3.2Jan 13, 2026Ancient deltas reveal vast Martian ocean across northern hemisphere

The European Space Agency (ESA) operates Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in Mars orbit.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.2Dec 17, 2025NASA火星探査機「MAVEN」、応答せず–機体回転か、復旧活動続く

Mars Express's observations have contributed to scientific understanding of Martian geology, climate history, and water distribution.

GeneralValue 1.2Dec 9, 2025Martian butterfly crater reveals low angle impact and buried lava history

Mars Express has been orbiting Mars since 2003, building a global data set of the planet's surface in colour, stereo, and at high spatial resolution.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Dec 9, 2025Martian butterfly crater reveals low angle impact and buried lava history

Marte presenta segni di antiche ere glaciali, evidenti in immagini della High Resolution Stereo Camera a bordo della sonda Mars Express dell'ESA.

CapabilityValue 2.5Nov 12, 2025Marte come la Terra: le ere glaciali raccontano il clima antico

For Mars Express, up to nine staggered channels captured small time offsets that enabled precise motion estimation.

CapabilityValue 4.0Oct 10, 2025Two decades of Mars images reveal fast moving dust devils and stronger winds

The study trained a neural network to detect dust devils in Mars Express images acquired since 2004 and ExoMars CaSSIS images since 2016.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Oct 10, 2025Two decades of Mars images reveal fast moving dust devils and stronger winds

CaSSIS has achieved unprecedented clarity at 18 metres per pixel, surpassing previous limb observations by Mars Express.

CapabilityValue 4.0Oct 10, 2025Martian skies reveal intricate atmospheric layers in new orbiter images

The ESA's Mars Express attempted to capture images of the likely comet using its OMEGA and SPICAM spectrometers, but has not succeeded so far.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.8Oct 9, 2025Space agencies track rare 3I/ATLAS interstellar object near Mars

The new antenna will support current flagship ESA missions including Juice, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Mars Express, and Hera.

CapabilityValue 3.0Oct 7, 2025Neue Deep-Space-Antenne in New Norcia eingeweiht

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Mars Express had the closest view of comet 3I/ATLAS of all spacecraft.

GeneralValue 3.4Oct 7, 2025RT by @AJ_FI: ☄️ #3I/ATLAS comet update! On 3 October, our ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) turned its eyes towards interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passed close to Mars. Together with Mars Express, ExoMars TGO had the closest view of the comet of all of our spacecraft. It looked towards the interstellar interloper from just 30 million km away during its closest approach to the Red Planet. Read more: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/ESA_s_ExoMars_and_Mars_Express_observe_comet_3I_ATLAS

The New Norcia 3 antenna will support current ESA flagship missions such as Juice, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Mars Express, and Hera.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Oct 6, 2025ESA inaugurates deep space antenna in Australia

The new deep space antenna will support ESA's flagship missions, including Juice, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Mars Express, and Hera, when it becomes operational in 2026.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Oct 6, 2025La ESA inaugura en Australia una antena de 35 metros para el espacio profundo

Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will observe the comet 3I/ATLAS around its closest approach to Mars on 3 October 2025.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Oct 1, 2025RT by @AJ_FI: All eyes on #3I/ATLAS ☄️ Our Mars Express & ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will observe the comet around its closest approach to Mars on 3 October 2025, when 3I/ATLAS will be around 30 million km from the red planet. Stay tuned and follow http://esa.int/3IATLAS

Aurorae on Mars have previously been observed in ultraviolet from orbit by ESA's Mars Express and NASA's MAVEN missions.

GeneralValue 2.8Sep 23, 2025Predicting Martian aurora to safeguard future explorers

ESA’s Mars Express HRSC and OMEGA instruments provided data and expertise to support characterization and selection of the Tianwen-1 landing sites.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0May 14, 2021China’s Zhurong Mars rover lands safely in Utopia Planitia

NASA spent $2,800,000 supporting ESA’s Mars Express orbiter mission in fiscal year 2019 and plans to end NASA support for Mars Express by the summer following a poor showing in a senior review of extended missions.

FinancialPlanLegalValue 4.0Mar 19, 2020“Overstressed” NASA Mars exploration budget threatens missions