Mars probe to remain in orbit
2005-09-23 10:33
Paris - The mission of Europe's Mars Express spacecraft has been prolonged for another two years, the European Space Agency announced on Thursday.
The agency said the probe would remain in orbit around the Red Planet for another Martian year, or 23 Earth months, allowing it to observe seasonal changes and search for climactic phenomena such as frost and mist.
Europe's first solo mission to explore another planet arrived at Mars on December 25, 2003, and has already expanded scientific understanding about the surface of one of Earth's galactic neighbours.
A key task for the orbiter is to search for reserves of water locked beneath the planet's arid surface, which could be the key to sending a manned expedition to Mars.