European lander starts 3-day descent to Mars surface: ESA

A European lander started a three-day, million-kilometre (621,000-mile) descent to Mars on Sunday, quitting its mothership to test technology for a daring mission to scout the Red Planet for signs of life. Flight director Michel Denis confirmed the lander Schiaparelli had separated, to loud applause at mission control in Darmstadt, Germany some 175 million kilometres (109 miles) from where the manoeuvre was executed. As planned, the 600-kilogramme (1,300-pound), paddling pool-sized lander separa