The Mars Express spacecraft has orbited the Red Planet for 19 years, providing breathtaking views of Mars and valuable insights. To date, this hardworking orbiter has not only transmitted its own data to Earth, but also provided a communication link between other Mars missions and ground control.
The European Space Agency announced that Mars Express has recently set a new record by transferring data to a total of 7 different Mars surface missions. According to the space agency’s statement, this is a significant achievement in helping scientists paint a complete picture of the planet’s history. The most recent long-distance search was on behalf of NASA’s Perseverance rover, the Mars robot that has been circling the Red Planet since February 2021.
This isn’t the first long-distance search from Mars to Earth. The orbiter flew over NASA’s Spirit rover in 2004 and sent a series of commands, which Spirit transmitted this data for the Mars Express to transmit to Earth. The fact that 2 spacecraft have established a communication network around another planet represents a first.
The Mars Express spacecraft left Earth for Mars in June 2003 and entered Mars orbit after a 6-month journey through space. The aging orbiter is still running strong, and a much-needed software update was recently deployed to improve its ability to send and receive signals. Although Mars Express is the European Space Agency’s lowest-cost mission to date, it provides valuable data on Mars as well as its moon Phobos. After 19 years of service, the orbiter could end its mission in December of this year and finally make its way to Earth.
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