Launch Photos: Europe's ExoMars 2016 Mission Rockets Toward the Red Planet

ExoMars 2016 Rocket Launch

Stephane Corvaja/ESA

A Proton-M rocket launched the ExoMars 2016 mission from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on March 14, 2016. The mission includes an orbiter along with a Mars lander prototype that will attempt a landing on the red planet. [See our full story.]

ExoMars 2016 Liftoff Through Arch

Stephane Corvaja/ESA

A Proton-M rocket launched the ExoMars 2016 mission from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on March 14, 2016.

ExoMars 2016 Liftoff

Stephane Corvaja/ESA

A Proton-M rocket launched the ExoMars 2016 mission from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on March 14, 2016.

ExoMars 2016 Liftoff Low Angle

Stephane Corvaja/ESA

A Proton-M rocket launched the ExoMars 2016 mission from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on March 14, 2016.

Proton Rocket Raising

Stephane Corvaja/ESA

The Proton rocket that launched the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft to Mars was raised into a vertical position at the launch pad at Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on March 11, 2016.

ExoMars 2016 Spacecraft on the Launchpad

B. Bethge/ESA

The two ExoMars 2016 spacecraft and their Russian Proton rocket sit on the launchpad at Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 11, 2016.

ExoMars 2016 Spacecraft Rollout

B. Bethge/ESA

A Russian Proton rocket and its ExoMars 2016 payload are hoisted into vertical position at Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 11, 2016.

EXOMARS 2016 Spacecraft Encapsulated

B. Bethge/ESA

ExoMars 2016 spacecraft composite underwent encapsulation within the launcher fairing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 2, 2016.

EXOMARS 2016 Spacecraft Encapsulated

B. Bethge/ESA

ExoMars 2016 spacecraft composite underwent encapsulation within the launcher fairing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 2, 2016.

EXOMARS 2016 Spacecraft Encapsulated

B. Bethge/ESA

ExoMars 2016 spacecraft composite underwent encapsulation within the launcher fairing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 2, 2016.

ExoMars 2016

ESA/ATG Medialab

Artist's impression of the ExoMars 2016 mission, including the Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli, a small landing demonstrator module.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.