Two rovers from the United States and a lander from Europe will descend on Mars within a month of each other to probe for signs of life and seek liquid water. The independent missions, which are slated for different locations on the red planet, are scheduled for late 2003 and early 2004. The European Space Agency will send Beagle 2, a stationary lander, to examine rocks, dig into the soil, evaluate the air and look for organic matter and other signs of past and present life. Beagle 2 will hitch a ride to the planet with the Mars Express orbiter. Unlike ESA’s lander, NASA’s rovers will be mobile. NASA will launch the two golf cart-sized rovers separately in 2003. Each will carry five instruments to analyze rock and soil samples on the surface, traveling up to 110 yards (100 meters) a day, as it looks for evidence of liquid water.