A landing probe dispatched by the European Space Agency has begun its three-day descent to the surface of Mars, where it will take photos and measurements for research purposes. Two American rovers, Curiosity and Opportunity, are already on the planet collecting data.
A joint project of the ESA and Russia's Roscosmos space agency, the Schiaparelli lander will be Europe's first craft on the red planet if it lands successfully. This is the second such attempt after Britain's Beagle 2 lander crashed in 2003, and a European rover is scheduled to arrive on the planet in 2020.
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