A Soyuz-FG/Fregat rocket launched ESA's Mars Express orbiter from Baikonur on the agency's first mission to the Red Planet, timed to exploit Mars's closest approach to Earth in 17 years that August. It was the maiden flight of the Soyuz-FG/Fregat configuration.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- Mars
- Payload to orbit
- 1.2 T (est.)
- Flight
- 1st
- of 10 Soyuz-FG Fregat flights
- Date and time
- 2 June 2003, 17:45 UTC
- Rocket
- Soyuz-FG Fregat
- Builder
- Progress RSC
- Launch site
- 31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
- Payload
- Planetary Science
- International designator
- 2003-022
- Launches in 2003
- 22nd of 63
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
View satellites in Space Atlas