ESA's Mars Express Mission - Europe on Its Way to Mars
Publication date: 01 July 1999
Authors: Schmidt, R., et al.
Journal: ESA Bulletin
Volume: 98
Year: 1999
Copyright: ESA
ESA's exciting and fast-track Mars Express mission is the first of the new flexible (F) missions, which are based on a new implementation scenario to maintain overall mission cost below a very stringent cost cap. The key features of an F-mission are streamlined management, up-front definition of the payload, and the transfer of more responsibility to industry. The cost ceiling is 175 MEuro for future F-missions, but only 150 MEuro for Mars Express. The scientific objectives of the mission include the remote and in-situ study of the surface, subsurface, atmosphere and environment of the planet Mars. ESA's Science Programme Committee preliminarily approved Mars Express in November 1998, provided sufficient funding would be available, and gave its full approval on 19 May 1999
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