Mars Express

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mars-express

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mission operator?European Space Agency (ESA)
2. What is the launch vehicle?Soyuz-FG/Fregat
3. What is Mars Express and when did it launch?Mars Express is a robot explorer launched by the European Space Agency on June 2, 2003. It travels around Mars to study the planet.
4. What did the Mars Express Orbiter do?The Mars Express Orbiter takes very detailed pictures and uses instruments to learn about Mars' rocks, air, and underground layers.

Exobiology: The scientific study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.
Geochemistry: The science that uses the techniques of chemistry to explain the mechanisms and history of natural rocks and soils.
Comparative Planetology: The study of planets by comparing and contrasting their structure, composition, and evolution.
Astrobioology: The interdisciplinary scientific field that studies the origins, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe.