Mars Express: Genesis and Infancy

Abstract This paper describes the flow of events which led ESA to select this Mars Express mission for a launch in 2003, following the failure of the Russian Mars 96 in 1996. The unique genesis of Mars Express is reflected in its system design, the payload selected, and the operation strategy. Although a low cost “F-mission”, Mars Express achieved unprecedented objectives, with in particular coupled analyses of all Mars envelopes, from its exosphere, high and low atmosphere, to the surface and subsurface characterization. For ESA, Mars Express constitutes the first ever Mars mission, on which the Agency, the European space industry and the science community built its level of excellence, opening wide cooperative partnerships.