Mars Express orbiter spacecraft
Mars Express is an active ESA orbiter built by Astrium to study Mars geology, atmosphere, subsurface water, and climate while relaying communications for surface missions. Its integrated bipropellant spacecraft propulsion subsystem comprises one 400 N main engine and eight 10 N thrusters: the main engine performed Mars orbit insertion and was then deactivated, while the eight small thrusters support later orbit changes, reaction-wheel momentum dumping, and emergency attitude control. Beagle 2 and the Soyuz/Fregat launch system remain outside this orbiter installation.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Mars Express orbiterMEX
- Family Name
- Mars Express
- Full Name
- Mars Express orbiter spacecraft
- Roles
- interplanetary_probeorbitercommunicationsresearch
- Status
- active
- Type
- spacecraft
Details
- Description
- Mars Express is an active ESA orbiter built by Astrium to study Mars geology, atmosphere, subsurface water, and climate while relaying communications for surface missions. Its integrated bipropellant spacecraft propulsion subsystem comprises one 400 N main engine and eight 10 N thrusters: the main engine performed Mars orbit insertion and was then deactivated, while the eight small thrusters support later orbit changes, reaction-wheel momentum dumping, and emergency attitude control. Beagle 2 and the Soyuz/Fregat launch system remain outside this orbiter installation.
- Dimensions
- Height M
- 1.5
- Length M
- 1.8
- Width M
- 1.4
- First Flight Year
- 2,003
- Manufacturer
- Operator
- Propulsion Configurations
- Entries
- Count
- 1
- Placement
- spacecraft
- Propulsion System
- Role
- maneuvering
- Stage
- spacecraft
- Variant Notes
- One Mars Express integrated bipropellant propulsion subsystem containing one 400 N main engine and eight 10 N thrusters.
- Name
- Mars Express integrated bipropellant propulsion installation
- Notes
- ESA documents one 400 N main engine and eight 10 N thrusters in the Mars Express spacecraft propulsion system. The main engine served Mars orbit insertion; the small thrusters support later orbit changes and attitude control. Count 1 represents the complete installed spacecraft subsystem; no individual product model is asserted.
- Spacecraft Specs
- Launch Mass Kg
- 1,223
- Reusability
- expendable
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Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 30, 2026 at 20:58:35 UTC
- Updated Time
- September 8, 2026 at 00:19:53 UTC