Europe space lander aims for risky touchdown on Mars

Frankfurt

THE search for life on Mars may take a giant leap on Wednesday when a space lander is due to touchdown on the red planet in Europe's first attempt to land a craft there since the Beagle 2's "heroic failure" more than a decade ago.

The disc-shaped 577-kg Schiaparelli lander, which will test technologies for a rover due to follow in 2020, is expected to enter Mars's atmosphere at a speed of nearly 21,000 kilometres per hour at 1442 GMT (10 pm in Singapore).