As of today, Mars Express remains active, its orbit slowly drifting to allow new views of Phobos (Mars’s moon) and to refine our knowledge of the planet’s gravity field. It has become a benchmark of engineering resilience—a spacecraft built on a budget that outlasted many newer missions.
Perhaps the most significant contribution of Mars Express has been the confirmation and mapping of water ice. Using its instrument, the probe peered beneath the planet's dusty surface. In 2018, MARSIS data revealed the presence of a 20-kilometer-wide lake of liquid water beneath the southern polar ice cap. This was a monumental discovery, suggesting that liquid water—which is essential for life as we know it—could exist on Mars today, protected from the harsh surface conditions by layers of ice. Mars Express
The High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) is arguably the mission’s most famous instrument. Unlike traditional cameras, the HRSC captures images in color and stereo simultaneously. This has allowed scientists to create digital terrain models of Mars with unprecedented accuracy. The HRSC has mapped nearly the entire surface of Mars at a resolution of 10 to 30 meters per pixel, with select areas photographed at an astonishing 2-meter resolution. It has revealed ancient river valleys, massive volcanoes like Olympus Mons, deep canyons like Valles Marineris, and seasonal polar ice caps in stunning 3D. As of today, Mars Express remains active, its
It gave Europe a seat at the table of planetary exploration. It taught us that Mars is not a dry, static rock but a dynamic planet with hidden lakes, shifting ice, and a complex climatic history. The mission serves as a bridge between the first generation of Mars flybys (Mariner) and the modern era of sample return. Using its instrument, the probe peered beneath the
While no end date is officially set, eventually will run out of fuel and power. The ESA has approved the Mars Next Generation mission (also known as Mars Telecommunication Orbiter concepts), which will likely carry improved radar, high-res cameras, and a robust relay system. But for now, Mars Express remains the "Old Reliable" of the Red Planet fleet.