Introduction
A new golden age in Mars exploration has begun. A host of space probes are leaving Earth for the Red Planet this summer.
First off the starting block was Europe's first solo mission to another planet, Mars Express. On board the parent space craft is Beagle 2, a tiny space lander the size of a barbecue. If all goes well, it will become the first British-built probe to touch down on another world.
The whole mission cost £200m (300 m euro). The aim is simple - to find evidence of life, past or present, on another planet.
One-Minute World News
News services
Europe's Mars Express mission (Courtesy: European Space Agency)