Facing the Universe, a Dive into Space Research

After the Russian "Mars 96” mission had failed, the European Space Agency (ESA) took over the programme and created "Mars Express”. The objectives of sending this new probe to Mars are to map the planet, analyse its subsoil and study its atmosphere. It was launched on June 2, 2003 using a Russian rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Mars Express probe reached Mars in only 7 months. Since then, the aircraft has been making a series of rotations around Mars, at the rate of one every 7 hours…

In 2000, the European and Japanese space agencies decided to jointly develop the BepiColombo mission. This mission involves two orbiters. The European-designed MPO will study the surface, interior and lower atmosphere of Mercury. The Japanese MMO orbiter's main objective will be to study the planet's magnetic field. They will cruise together, propelled by a third module MTM until they are put into orbit around Mercury. However, sending out such a mission involves major technical challenges…

In 2004, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Rosetta mission. Its main objective is to analyse the composition of the nucleus of comet Churiumov-Guerasimenko in order to better understand the origin of water and life on Earth. After a ten-year journey through the solar system, the Rosetta probe succeeded in the double feat of orbiting the comet and then depositing the lander named Philae on the comet's nucleus. Two years of in-orbit and in-situ observations and analyses of Churiumov…