European-led Mars lander starts descent to red planet

A Mars lander left its mothership on Sunday after a seven-month journey from Earth and headed towards the red planet's surface to test technologies for Europe's planned first Mars rover, which will search for signs of past and present life. The disc-shaped 577-kilogramme (1,272 lb) Schiaparelli lander separated from spacecraft Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) at 1442 GMT as expected, starting a three-day descent to the surface.

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