 . 24/7 Space News .  Mars Express Does It In Record Time With
Less Cost  Mars Express's design and development phase has taken
about four years, compared with about six years for previous
similar missions. And its cost, 300 million euros, is much less
than other comparable planetary missions. The 'magic' lies in
the new managerial approach being used. Paris (ESA) Jun 02, 2003
ESA's Mars Express is a pioneering mission for several reasons.
It is the first European voyage to Mars, it has been built at
much less than the usual cost, and in record time.  Mars Express
is the first example of ESA's new style of developing scientific
missions: faster, smarter and more cost-effective, but without
compromising reliability and quality -- there have been no cuts
in tests or pre-launch preparations. Mars Express will face
demanding technical challenges during its trip to the Red Planet
and ESA engineers have worked hard to make sure it meets them.
"With Mars Express, Europe is building its own expertise in many
fields.