# Mars Express 3D model

> Shape built from published dimensions and pictures; details simplified.

Free 3D model of Mars Express, a deep-space probe, built from published dimensions by Space Radar. 11,176 triangles, 72 kB glTF, MIT.

- **Class:** Deep-space probes
- **Mission:** Planetary science
- **Triangles:** 11,176
- **File:** mars-express.glb, 72 kB, glTF 2.0 binary (meshopt)
- **Look:** Flat colours
- **Size:** 20 m across
- **Made:** Built from dimensions
- **Added:** 2026-10-20
- **Download:** https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Sara-Managed-Projects/space-radar/main/site/models/mars-express.glb
- **Mirror:** https://git.sara-agent.org/sara-projects/space-radar/raw/branch/main/site/models/mars-express.glb
- **Viewer:** https://www.spaceradar.ai/model/?id=mars-express
- **On the live map:** https://www.spaceradar.ai/#at=deep-mars-express
- **Licence:** MIT (https://github.com/Sara-Managed-Projects/space-radar/blob/main/LICENSE)
- **Credit:** Mars Express 3D model by Space Radar (spaceradar.ai), MIT License

Canonical: https://models.spaceradar.ai/mars-express/

## How it was made

Built in code from published dimensions and photographs, with no image-to-3D generator and no one else’s mesh. 3D model: built by Space Radar from published dimensions and NASA/JPL pictures (public domain).

built by this project in code (the private tool model-from-images: assemble.py, from a yaml of primitives), from the cited dimensions and the pictures under `references`; no image-to-3D model was used, and no published mesh: NASA's 3D Resources (the whole tree, read 2026-10-20) and NASA Science's search have none of this craft, and ESA publishes none under terms that allow a derivative. NASA/JPL's illustrations (public domain) were looked at for the layout and are not in the file; NO ESA PICTURE OR MODEL IS IN THE FILE: ESA's published numbers were read as numbers. ESA's terms for the images on its site, read 2026-10-15 (https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions): 'The website of the European Space Agency (the ESA Website) provides to users an online access to space images and videos for education, editorial and/or information purposes only. All other uses (e.g. commercial ones) are excluded and require a specific licence.' ESA's renders on Wikimedia Commons are CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (share-alike) and were looked at only

## Dimensions

- Body x: 1.5 m
- Body y: 1.4 m
- Body z: 1.8 m
- Span: 12 m
- Hga: 1.6 m
- Marsis dipole: 20 m

Source: Wikipedia, 'Mars Express', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Express, OPENED 2026-10-20: 'The main body is 1.5 m × 1.8 m × 1.4 m in size.'; 'The solar panels measure about 12 m tip-to-tip.'; 'the solar panels which contain 11.42 square meters of silicon cells'; 'A 1.6 m diameter parabolic dish high-gain antenna and two omnidirectional antennas.'; 'Two Mars lander relay UHF antennas are mounted on the top face.'; 'Two 20 m long wire dipole antennas extend from opposite side faces perpendicular to the solar panels.'; 'a bipropellant 400 N main engine'; 'eight 10 N thrusters, one attached to each corner of the spacecraft bus'; 'The spacecraft is covered in gold-plated aluminium-tin alloy thermal blankets.' DERIVED: each panel 0.96 x 1.48 m (11.42 m2 over eight, four a wing as every picture draws them). OURS: the yoke's fin and frame, the dish's depth, the places and sizes of everything on the top face, the radiators, the thrusters' sizes. SHORTENED, AND SAID: the dipole 5.6 m a side of 20 m, the monopole 2 m of 7 m.

## References

- [Mars Express illustration highlighting MARSIS antenna](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mars_Express_illustration_highlighting_MARSIS_antenna.jpg), NASA/JPL/Corby Waste (Public domain (NASA/JPL/Corby Waste; Commons' LicenseShortName, read 2026-10-20))
- [Mars Express over Tharsis volcanoes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mars_Express_over_Tharsis_volcanoes.jpg), NASA/JPL/ESA, Corby Waste (Public domain (NASA/JPL/ESA, Corby Waste; Commons' LicenseShortName, read 2026-10-20))
- [Mars Express ESA392355](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mars_Express_ESA392355.jpg), ESA (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (European Space Agency; Commons' LicenseShortName, read 2026-10-20): share-alike, LOOKED AT ONLY for today's colours and the top face, not fetched by the tool and not in any file)