Is there life on Mars: the question answer expedition launched from Baikonur – BBC News

For the first time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launched an international expedition to Mars. On board of the carrier rocket “Proton-M” are research units by Roskosmos and the European Space Agency. The goal of an ambitious – to find traces of life on the Red Planet. Search will be serious.

Cutting atmosphere, “Proton” drops step by step. It is the most stressful time, minutes are drawn like a clock.

The third stage is separated in the open space. This is followed by a sigh of relief. Scientists followed the launch at Baikonur, congratulate each other on the successful launch. The aircraft with the historical mission heads for the Red Planet.

The European Space Agency and Roscosmos have agreed on a joint project three years ago. In NASA was abandoned due to lack of funds. For the expedition needed a heavy-class rocket, such as “Proton”. The time to start is not chosen by chance – March 14, 2016. That same day, the planets are close enough to each other. This occurs infrequently

If the start was postponed, the right moment for the first-ever mission to Mars, preceded by a single task -. The detection of life on Mars, would have had to wait more than a year

<. p> “this is not some kind of game it is a science, a technology Thank you Russian colleagues, because together we are now on the way to Mars..”, – says General Director of the European space agency, Johann-Dietrich Werner

“we are serious moment, very exciting for me, and, I think, for my colleagues today start opening very important for us to stage -. study jointly with the European space Agency Mars”, – says Director General of the State Corporation for space activities ” Roskosmos. “Igor Komarov

orbiter TGO fly to the nearest neighbors of the Earth and landing -” Kiaparelli “. Seven months later they split up. One will remain in orbit, the second rush to the surface of the planet. The first data from the orbiter, scientists will be able to in October 2016, but the lander reaches the Martian crust in the end of 2017.

“Life on Mars’ surface is absolutely impossible”, -. Sure Professor of the Spanish Institute of Astrophysics Hose- . Juan Lopez-Moreno

– Why

“because the surface is liquid water, due to the temperature, pressure and radiation, however, under the surface?. may be conditions for life may be, there’s even a micro-organisms “, -. nevertheless optimistic Spanish professor

On the surface of the fourth planet -. extensive craters, giant volcanoes, and only dust storms are worn over the boundless heathlands. But scientists at the poles had long since discovered the ice caps on Earth. What is it – water or gas? It remains to be seen. In the meantime, scientists want to find out where in the Martian atmosphere of methane impurity. On Earth, 90 percent of methane produce living organisms. Maybe on Mars are some biological processes

“It is, in any case, some microscopic organisms, according to the set of indirect evidence” -. Said the chief specialist of the Department of Research of Mars Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Trohimovsky.

data from the scientific equipment will arrive at the same time in Russia and in Europe. Russian neutron detector “Friend” will study the motion of elementary particles and radiation levels, European stereo cameras “Cassis” – to photograph the planet’s surface. Images of this quality and detail has not been

Today’s launch -. Just the beginning. In the future, Russian and European scientists plan to lower the rover on the planet, more perfect than that at one time sent the Americans. He will be able to drill the Martian soil and take samples to a depth of two meters, NASA phones are capable of doing holes only a few centimeters. The second phase of the Mars mission, if you will not have problems with financing, will start in 2018.

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