Mars Express - Closing in on the red planet

Europeans are now closer to Mars, at least metaphorically speaking. The first planetary mission managed entirely by Europe, Mars Express, is currently on its way towards the Red Planet, where it is due to arrive in December this year. The spacecraft goes into orbit around the planet, having first released a lander designed to search for Martian life! The whole European space sector will then have all the more reason to celebrate. Thanks to Mars Express mission, European engineers and scientists will have mastered not only how to land on another planet, but to do it with 'state of the art' technology, developed in a record-breaking time and at half the usual cost. This is their story.