Save the date: the next flight to Mars is departing soon.

The ExoMars 2016 mission, a joint endeavour between ESA and Roscosmos, is targeting launch at 09:30 GMT on 14 March on a Proton-M/Breeze-M from Baikonur.

Online registration for a dedicated media day at ESA’s operations centre, ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany, will soon be available via esa.int.

Media representatives as well as social media influencers will be eligible to apply for accreditation to attend the launch event. Note that there is no dedicated social media event; those attending with social media accreditation will be accorded the same access to the event and expert interview partners as traditional/online news media (eligibility requirements will be available soon).

Applicants should already bear in mind that the event at ESOC will take place between approximately 07:00 and 22:00 GMT. In addition to launch coverage in the morning, an extensive programme of speakers is being prepared for the afternoon. The final, fourth-stage rocket burn and separation of the spacecraft, including the first acquisition of signal, is expected later in the evening.

The full programme outline and application details will be available next week.

Dates/times may change due to circumstances beyond our control.