Europe goes to Mars
A signal sent by the space craft to ground control confirmed what scientists had hoped - the launch had been successful and the probe was on the correct path for Mars. The Mars Express orbiter, carrying the British-built lander, Beagle 2, left Earth on a Russian Soyuz-Fregat launcher.
Beagle 2 is, of course, named in honour of HMS Beagle—the ship on which the young Charles Darwin voyaged around the world.