U.S.-European cooperation in exploring Mars moves a step closer with the selection of instruments for the first of three joint missions to the red planet. Set for launch in 2016, the NASA/European Space Agency ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (see illustration) will mark a thousandfold improvement in the sensitivity of atmospheric measurements at Mars. One of the gases it will seek-methane-could be a signature of biological processes on the planet, and already has generated intriguing readings from less capable sensors.
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机译：美欧在探索火星方面的合作更加紧密，为这颗红色星球进行的三个联合任务中的第一个任务选择了仪器。 NASA /欧洲航天局ExoMars微量气体轨道仪（见插图）定于2016年发射，将标志着火星大气测量灵敏度的千倍提高。它会寻找甲烷的一种气体可能是地球上生物过程的标志，并且已经从功能较弱的传感器中产生了有趣的读数。
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