A space lander touched down on Mars on Wednesday in what is Europe's first attempt to land a craft there since the Beagle 2's "heroic failure" more than a decade ago.

 

Scientists are now awaiting updates on the status of the disc-shaped 577-kg (1,272 lb) Schiaparelli lander, which is testing technologies for a rover due to follow in 2020, the European Space Agency said.