European robot probe Schiaparelli prepares for Mars landing

A small robot probe could make history by becoming the first European spacecraft to survive a landing on Mars.
Scientists will be crossing their fingers as Schiaparelli flies itself on autopilot through the Martian atmosphere.
After a descent lasting a nail-biting six minutes, the 2.4m-wide (8ft) disc-shaped lander will briefly fire its retro rockets before belly flopping on to a plain near the Martian equator at 3.48pm Wednesday, UK time.
The only previous European Space Agency (Esa) spacecraft to attempt a Mars landing was the ill-fated British-built Beagle 2 on Christmas Day 2003.
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