Mars Express, to be launched in May-June 2003 on its six-month journey to
Mars 2003, is presently being put through a test campaign at INTESPACE,
Toulouse, France. The spacecraft, which will be undertaking Europe’s first
mission to the Red Planet, is to be presented at a special press event
being held in Toulouse on 18 September.
Media representatives are invited to INTESPACE on Wednesday 18 September
to learn about the mission and attend a ceremony at which a container
filled with Ferrari’s distinctive ‘Rosso Corsa’ red paint will be
integrated with the spacecraft. Mr Antonio Rodot‡ (ESA Director General),
Professor David Southwood (ESA Director of Science), senior
representatives of the space industry and a representative from Ferrari
will be giving presentations. Together with the ESA Mars Express project
manager and project scientist, they will be available for interviews.
Representatives of the media wishing to attend this media day at INTESPACE
on Wednesday 18 September are kindly requested to complete the
accreditation form and fax it to:
Franco Bonacina, Head of Media Relations
ESA/HQ, Paris, France
Tel. +33 (0) 1 53697155
Fax. +33 (0) 1 53697690
Notes for Editors:
1. On 18 September at INTESPACE, Toulouse, ESA will integrate a sample of
Ferrari’s ‘Rosso Corsa’ red paint with the Mars Express spacecraft. This
event is part of a new ESA communication policy aimed mainly at the
general public.
Ferrari have much to celebrate: the outstanding success of the Scuderia
Ferrari, winning their fourth consecutive Formula One constructors’
championship and Michael Schumacher his fifth Formula One drivers’
championship. Responding to an ESA proposal, Ferrari have agreed to send
the symbol of their winning formula on the ESA mission to the Red Planet.
When Mars Express blasts into orbit next summer at 10 800 kilometres per
hour, it will be the fastest that Ferrari’s distinctive red paint has ever
travelled.
Following successful completion of a series of rigorous tests, the Ferrari
red paint sample will be officially certified ‘space qualified’ at a
ceremony at INTESPACE. Housed in a specially constructed glass globe known
as FRED, it will then be formally integrated with the Mars Express craft.
2. The main objective of the Mars Express mission is to detect the
presence of water below the surface of Mars. This could be in the form of
underground rivers, pools, permafrost, or aquifers (subsurface rock
formations concealing water). During its one Martian year (687 Earth days)
of operations, Mars Express will view the entire surface of the Red Planet
with a range of instruments. Before it goes into orbit around Mars, the
spacecraft’s first task is to eject the Beagle 2 lander onto the surface,
where it will carry out detailed rock and soil analysis. In addition to
Beagle 2, Mars Express will carry seven scientific instruments, designed
specifically to gather new information on the Martian atmosphere, the
planet’s structure and its geology. Mars Express will set off from the
Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan, on a Russian Soyuz-Fregat launcher,
arriving at Mars by Christmas 2003.
Please fill in the attached reply form for accreditation.
For further information, please contact:
ESA Communications Department
Media Relations Office
Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 69 71 55
Fax :+33 (0) 1 53 69 76 90
Or
Hugo MarÈe
Red Encounter project coordinator
Tel : +33(0)1 53697106
Tel : +31 71 5653183
ACCREDITATION REQUEST Presentation of Mars Express and Integration of the Ferrari Red Paint Wednesday 18 September - 10:30 CET INTESPACE 18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31 401 TOULOUSE CEDEX 4, FRANCE Full Name ............................................... Company/Institute.......................................... Business address........................................... ........................................................... Telephone................Fax.............................. Mobile.................................................... e-mail.................................................... Nationality............................................... Date of birth..................Place of birth ............. Passport number .......................................... Issued on.................. at............................. Expiry date .............................................. [ ] will be attending the press conference [ ] will not be attending Please fax this form to the address below, before 10 September 2002:
ESA Communications Department
Media Relations Office
Tel : +33 (0) 1 53 69 71 55
Fax : +33 (0) 1 53 69 76 90
Presentation of Mars Express and Integration of the Ferrari Red Paint
Wednesday 18 September – 10:30 CET
INTESPACE
18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31 401 TOULOUSE CEDEX 4, FRANCE
PROGRAMME
10:30 Welcome (J.-L. MarcÈ,Intespace DG)
10:35 The Red Encounter: When two Red Planets meet (A. Rodot‡,
ESA DG)
10:45 Mars Express: the first European mission to the
Red Planet (D. Southwood,ESA Director of Science)
11:00 Mars Express, a challenge for European industry (A. Bouvier, Astrium
CEO, G. Viriglio, Alenia Spazio CEO)
11:15 An original tribute to the Scuderia Ferrari (Ferrari representative)
11:25 Conclusion,Presentation of “Space Qualified” certificate (A.Rodot‡
ESA DG)
11:35 Questions & Answers
12:00 Transfer to Cleanroom
12:15 Integration of Paint Container with Mars Express spacecraft,Photo
opportunity
12:30 Transfer to lunch location
12:45 Lunch
