Unmanned Spacecraft Blasts Off for Mars. MOSCOW (AP) -- An unmanned spacecraft built by the European Space Agency blasted off atop a Russian rocket Monday on a mission to Mars, where it will orbit the planet for nearly two years and search for signs of life. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]
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The lander would dig into Mars to search for organic materials and check the atmosphere for traces of methane produced by living organisms -- the first such search since 1976, when twin U.S. Viking landers brought inconclusive results.
The mission, called Mars Express, will map the planet, use a powerful radar to probe its surface for evidence of water, and measure water concentrations in the atmosphere.
NASA is sending its own twin Mars Exploration Rovers later this month in a $800 million mission to try to answer the same questions about water and life on the planet. A Japanese spacecraft launched in 1998 also continues its voyage toward Mars, despite some electronic troubles.
The launching of many spacecraft at once isn't accidental: Celestial mechanics are bringing Mars and Earth closer together than they have been for a long time, helping save fuel and travel time.
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