 Ferrari's Rosso Corsa Take the Mars Express Sunday July 21st, 2002
The European Space Agency, who contacted Ferrari with the initiative following the team's success in motor racing, will be launching the Mars Express - the first European spacecraft to visit Mars - next year, around May or June 2003. The Ferrari red paint will be on board the spacecraft in a specially constructed glass globe measuring 2cm in diameter, designed to withstand the extreme temperatures it will encounter on its trip to Mars. The spacecraft will be launched on a Soyuz/Fregat launcher, reaching speeds of roughly 10,800 kilometres per hour - nearly 10 times the speed of sound. The paint is currently undergoing tests at ESA's test centre in the Netherlands to discover how it will withstand space conditions on the journey. Once it has been officially "space-qualified", it is due to be installed on the spacecraft at a formal ceremony in September.
Published at 19:08:58 GMT
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Ferrari has been invited to leave their mark not only on earth but also in space, as the Italian marque was invited to ship off to Mars... a capsule of its famous red paint.
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