ESA ExoMars rover

A pre-crash video documenting the Exomars program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k5jJKef7Rs
 
Grey Havoc said:
http://russianspaceweb.com/exomars2018-2017.html
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Interesting link Grey Havoc, that is the first time that I have seen Exomars in that configuration. Let's hope that the lander succeeds this time where Beagle 2 failed.
 
FighterJock said:
Grey Havoc said:
http://russianspaceweb.com/exomars2018-2017.html
Click to expand...

Interesting link Grey Havoc, that is the first time that I have seen Exomars in that configuration. Let's hope that the lander succeeds this time where Beagle 2 failed.
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or ESA Schiaparelli lander...
 
Keeping Up With TGO

Editor’s note: This week’s blog update comes courtesy of TGO Spacecraft Operations Manager Peter Schmitz at ESA’s ESOC mission control centre in Darmstadt, Germany. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has been conducting a complex and challenging aerobraking campaign since March 2017, using the faint drag of Mars’ upper atmosphere to slow it and lower it into its final science orbit, eliminating the need to have carried along hundreds of kilogrammes of fuel on its journey to the Red Planet. Aerobraking is expected to end around March 2018, after which TGO will perform some additional manoeuvres to achieve its final, near-circular, science orbit of about 400 km altitude.
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http://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2017/12/06/keeping-up-with-tgo/
 
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter completes aerobraking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfvs9mvRzqA
 
Proof of life on Mars may be just months away as EU probe begins fly-bys

“If we find traces of methane that are mixed with more complex organic molecules, it will be a strong sign that methane on Mars has a biological source and that it is being produced – or was once produced – by living organisms,” said Mark McCaughrean, senior adviser for science and exploration at the European Space Agency.

“However, if we find it is mixed with gases such as sulphur dioxide, that will suggest its source is geological, not biological. In addition, methane made biologically tends to contain lighter isotopes of the element carbon than methane that is made geologically.”
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“We will look at sunlight as it passes through the Martian atmosphere and study how it is absorbed by methane molecules there,” said Håkan Svedhem, the orbiter’s project scientist. “We should be able to detect the presence of the gas to an accuracy of one molecule in every 10 billion molecules.”

If the methane is found to be biological in origin, two scenarios will have to be considered: either long-extinct microbes, which disappeared millions of years ago, have left the methane to seep slowly to the surface – or some very resistant methane-producing organisms still survive underground. “Life could still be clinging on under the Martian surface,” said Svedhem.

However, if the gas is found to be geological in origin, the discovery could still have important implications. On Earth, methane is produced – geologically – by a process known as “serpentinisation” which occurs when olivine, a mineral present on Mars, reacts with water.

“If we do find that methane is produced by geochemical processes on Mars, that will at least indicate that there must be liquid water beneath the planet’s surface – and given that water is crucial to life as we know it, that would be good news for those of us hoping to find living organisms on Mars one day,” said McCaughrean.
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https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/apr/28/proof-life-mars-months-away-gas-orbiter

EXOMARS RETURNS FIRST IMAGES FROM NEW ORBIT

http://m.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/ExoMars_returns_first_images_from_new_orbit

http://m.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2018/04/exomars_images_korolev_crater/17483826-1-eng-GB/ExoMars_images_Korolev_Crater_highlight_mob.jpg
 
http://exploration.esa.int/mars/60365-red-planet-rover-set-for-extreme-environment-workout/
Red Planet rover set for extreme environment workout

29 May 2018
A representative model of the ExoMars rover that will land on Mars in 2021 is beginning a demanding test campaign that will ensure it can survive the rigours of launch and landing, as well as operations under the environmental conditions of Mars.
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ExoMars_Rover_STM_20180519.jpg

Image Copyright: Airbus Defence and Space
 
Flyaway said:
http://exploration.esa.int/mars/60365-red-planet-rover-set-for-extreme-environment-workout/
Red Planet rover set for extreme environment workout

29 May 2018
A representative model of the ExoMars rover that will land on Mars in 2021 is beginning a demanding test campaign that will ensure it can survive the rigours of launch and landing, as well as operations under the environmental conditions of Mars.
Click to expand...

ExoMars_Rover_STM_20180519.jpg

Image Copyright: Airbus Defence and Space
Click to expand...

An interesting photo Flyaway. One thing though is the ExoMars rover bigger or smaller than NASA's Curiosity rover?
 
~1/3 the weight. Won't be needing the sky crane landing technique.
 
fredymac said:
~1/3 the weight. Won't be needing the sky crane landing technique.
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Thank's fredymac. Will be interesting to see if it succeeds where Schiaparelli failed.
 
FighterJock said:
fredymac said:
~1/3 the weight. Won't be needing the sky crane landing technique.
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Thank's fredymac. Will be interesting to see if it succeeds where Schiaparelli failed.
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Please keep in mind as it points out in the article above the landing system will be supplied by Russia.
 
Flyaway said:
FighterJock said:
fredymac said:
~1/3 the weight. Won't be needing the sky crane landing technique.
Click to expand...

Thank's fredymac. Will be interesting to see if it succeeds where Schiaparelli failed.
Click to expand...

Please keep in mind as it points out in the article above the landing system will be supplied by Russia.
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Well all I can say is that it better succeed. :eek: ;)
 
Rover test: What's it like to ride a rocket to Mars?

So, if you spend a billion euros on a space mission, you better be sure it can survive the rocket ride off Earth.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/science-environment-44538595?
 
UK PM Theresa May with ESA Exomars Rover at Farnborough Airshow 2018

The Rt Hon Theresa May, Prime Minister of the UK, examines the ESA ExoMars rover in the Space Zone at the Farnborough International Airshow, accompanied by ESA Director General Jan Wörner, ESA astronaut Tim Peake and Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency Dr Graham Turnock, 16 July 2018.

https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2018/07/UK_PM_Theresa_May_with_ESA_Exomars_Rover_at_Farnborough_Airshow_2018
 
Wanted: Inspiring name for Europe's 2020 Mars rover

Here's your chance to name the European rover that will go to Mars in 2020.

Currently called ExoMars, the six-wheeled robot needs something a bit more engaging and inspiring for when it lands on the Red Planet.

Astronaut Tim Peake is leading the hunt for a great moniker.

He wants everyone to go to a special website set up for the purpose and enter a suggestion. But don't think "Spacey McSpaceFace" is a goer because this is not an online poll.

All ideas will be put before an expert panel and it is they who will make the final choice.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/science-environment-44889596?__twitter_impression=true
 
The last time they try that naming poll in Britain for a polar research vessel
They ended up with RRS Boaty McBoatface...

Finally it became the RRS Sir David Attenborough


for my part label ExoMars as "H.G. Wells: Invader of Mars"
 
here link to the online poll

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Name_Europe_s_robot_to_roam_and_search_for_life_on_Mars
 
The full parachute system that will help deliver the ExoMars rover and a surface science platform to the martian surface has completed a full-scale high-altitude deployment sequence test, although unexpected damage to the main parachutes occurred.

Meanwhile, the main elements of the descent module hardware, including the heat shield that will protect the lander as it enters the atmosphere of Mars, have been delivered to Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, this week. The European carrier spacecraft that will carry the mission from Earth to Mars, and the Russian landing platform named Kazachok already arrived in Italy earlier this year. The rover, named Rosalind Franklin, is currently being fitted with hardware and its scientific payload in Stevenage, UK. Once fully integrated, the hardware will be tested to ensure it is ready for the journey to space, and operations on Mars.
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m.esa.int

ExoMars 2020: progress and challenges

The full parachute system that will help deliver the ExoMars rover and a surface science platform to the martian surface has completed a full-scale high-altitude deployment sequence test, although unexpected damage to the main parachutes occurred.
m.esa.int
 
The May test went largely to plan, with all four chutes deploying in their desired sequence, but both main chutes sustained damage along the way. The same was true during the new round of testing, but ESA notes that it appears that the damage occurred prior to the larger chute fully inflating.

“It is disappointing that the precautionary design adaptations introduced following the anomalies of the last test have not helped us to pass the second test successfully, but as always we remain focused and are working to understand and correct the flaw in order to launch next year,” ESA’s Francois Spoto said in a statement. “We are committed to flying a system that will safely deliver our payload to the surface of Mars in order to conduct its unique science mission.”
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bgr.com

ESA's Mars mission hits snag after second parachute test failure

Sending a spacecraft to Mars is no easy feat, but landing it on the Red Planet without making a crater is equally challenging. The European …
bgr.com bgr.com
 
Flyaway said:
The May test went largely to plan, with all four chutes deploying in their desired sequence, but both main chutes sustained damage along the way. The same was true during the new round of testing, but ESA notes that it appears that the damage occurred prior to the larger chute fully inflating.

“It is disappointing that the precautionary design adaptations introduced following the anomalies of the last test have not helped us to pass the second test successfully, but as always we remain focused and are working to understand and correct the flaw in order to launch next year,” ESA’s Francois Spoto said in a statement. “We are committed to flying a system that will safely deliver our payload to the surface of Mars in order to conduct its unique science mission.”
Click to expand...

bgr.com

ESA's Mars mission hits snag after second parachute test failure

Sending a spacecraft to Mars is no easy feat, but landing it on the Red Planet without making a crater is equally challenging. The European …
bgr.com bgr.com
Click to expand...

So what happens if the next test fails as well (worst case scenario)? Would that mean the rover would miss it's launch window completely, and would ESA have to reschedule the launch for the mid-2020's?
 
The problems with the parachutes may be worse than has publicly been reported, however. Ars has learned of at least one other parachute failure during testing of the ExoMars lander. Moreover, the agency has yet to conduct even a single successful test of the parachute canopy that is supposed to deploy at supersonic speeds, higher in the Martian atmosphere.

Efforts to obtain a comment from the European Space Agency about this information, or the likelihood of a slip past present 2020 launch date, were unsuccessful. After a spokeswoman with the European Space Agency offered to look into the matter on September, 4, there has been no further response.
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arstechnica.com

Europe’s Mars lander parachute problems may be worse than thought

ESA has yet to conduct a successful test of the parachutes at supersonic speeds.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
 
EXOMARS PARACHUTE PROGRESS

15 October 2019

Positive steps towards solving the problems discovered with the ExoMars mission parachutes have been taken in the last month to keep on track for the July-August 2020 launch window.

The mission needs two parachutes – each with its own pilot chute for extraction – to help slow the descent module prior to landing on Mars. Once the atmospheric drag has slowed the descent module from around 21 000 km/h to 1700 km/h, the first parachute will be deployed. Some 20 seconds later, at about 400 km/h, the second parachute will open. Following separation of the parachutes about 1 km above ground the braking engines will kick in to safely deliver a landing platform – with a rover encapsulated inside – onto the surface of Mars for its scientific mission. The entire sequence from atmospheric entry to landing takes just six minutes.

While the deployment sequence of all four parachutes was successfully tested in high altitude drop tests earlier this year, damage to the 15 m-diameter primary parachute and 35 m-diameter secondary parachute canopy was observed. Despite precautionary design adaptations being introduced for a second test of the 35 m parachute, canopy damage occurred again.

A thorough inspection of all the recovered hardware has since been completed, allowing the team to define dedicated design adaptations to both primary and secondary main parachutes. Some promising design changes will also be applied to the parachute bags to ease the lines and canopy exit from the bags, avoiding frictional damage.

ESA has also requested support from NASA to benefit from their hands-on parachute experience. This cooperation gives access to special test equipment at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that will enable ESA to conduct multiple dynamic extraction tests on the ground in order to validate any foreseen design adaptations prior to the upcoming high altitude drop tests.

The next opportunities for high altitude drop tests are at a range in Oregon, US, January–March. ESA is working to complete the tests of both the 15 m and 35 m parachute prior to the ExoMars project’s ‘qualification acceptance review’, which is planned for the end of April in order to meet the mission launch window (26 July–11 Aug 2020).

The qualified parachute assembly, inside its flight canister, should ideally be integrated into the spacecraft prior to shipment to Baikonur in April, but it is also possible to do so during the spacecraft preparation activities at the launch site in May.

The mission will launch on a Proton rocket, and a carrier module will transport the composite descent module, Kazachok lander platform and Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars, arriving in March 2021. After driving off the surface platform, Rosalind Franklin rover will explore the surface of Mars, seeking out geologically interesting sites to drill below the surface, to determine if life ever existed on our neighbour planet.

The rover is currently undergoing its environmental test campaign at Airbus Toulouse, France. At the same time, the flight carrier module containing the descent module and lander platform is completing its final round of testing at Thales Alenia Space, Cannes, France. The rover will be integrated into the spacecraft in early 2020.

All parachute system qualification activities are managed and conducted by a joint team involving the ESA project (supported by Technical Directorate expertise), TASinI (prime contractor), TASinF (PAS lead), Vorticity (parachute design and test analysis) and Arescosmo (parachute and bags manufacturing).

The ExoMars programme is a joint endeavour between ESA and Roscosmos. In addition to the 2020 mission, it also includes the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) launched in 2016. The TGO is already both delivering important scientific results of its own and relaying data from NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover and InSight lander. It will also relay the data from the ExoMars 2020 mission once it arrives at Mars in March 2021.

For further information, please contact:

ESA Newsroom and Media Relations

Email: media@esa.int

m.esa.int

ExoMars parachute progress

Positive steps towards solving the problems discovered with the ExoMars mission parachutes have been taken in the last month to keep on track for the July-August 2020 launch window.
m.esa.int
 
Flyaway said:
EXOMARS PARACHUTE PROGRESS

15 October 2019

Positive steps towards solving the problems discovered with the ExoMars mission parachutes have been taken in the last month to keep on track for the July-August 2020 launch window.

The mission needs two parachutes – each with its own pilot chute for extraction – to help slow the descent module prior to landing on Mars. Once the atmospheric drag has slowed the descent module from around 21 000 km/h to 1700 km/h, the first parachute will be deployed. Some 20 seconds later, at about 400 km/h, the second parachute will open. Following separation of the parachutes about 1 km above ground the braking engines will kick in to safely deliver a landing platform – with a rover encapsulated inside – onto the surface of Mars for its scientific mission. The entire sequence from atmospheric entry to landing takes just six minutes.

While the deployment sequence of all four parachutes was successfully tested in high altitude drop tests earlier this year, damage to the 15 m-diameter primary parachute and 35 m-diameter secondary parachute canopy was observed. Despite precautionary design adaptations being introduced for a second test of the 35 m parachute, canopy damage occurred again.

A thorough inspection of all the recovered hardware has since been completed, allowing the team to define dedicated design adaptations to both primary and secondary main parachutes. Some promising design changes will also be applied to the parachute bags to ease the lines and canopy exit from the bags, avoiding frictional damage.

ESA has also requested support from NASA to benefit from their hands-on parachute experience. This cooperation gives access to special test equipment at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that will enable ESA to conduct multiple dynamic extraction tests on the ground in order to validate any foreseen design adaptations prior to the upcoming high altitude drop tests.

The next opportunities for high altitude drop tests are at a range in Oregon, US, January–March. ESA is working to complete the tests of both the 15 m and 35 m parachute prior to the ExoMars project’s ‘qualification acceptance review’, which is planned for the end of April in order to meet the mission launch window (26 July–11 Aug 2020).

The qualified parachute assembly, inside its flight canister, should ideally be integrated into the spacecraft prior to shipment to Baikonur in April, but it is also possible to do so during the spacecraft preparation activities at the launch site in May.

The mission will launch on a Proton rocket, and a carrier module will transport the composite descent module, Kazachok lander platform and Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars, arriving in March 2021. After driving off the surface platform, Rosalind Franklin rover will explore the surface of Mars, seeking out geologically interesting sites to drill below the surface, to determine if life ever existed on our neighbour planet.

The rover is currently undergoing its environmental test campaign at Airbus Toulouse, France. At the same time, the flight carrier module containing the descent module and lander platform is completing its final round of testing at Thales Alenia Space, Cannes, France. The rover will be integrated into the spacecraft in early 2020.

All parachute system qualification activities are managed and conducted by a joint team involving the ESA project (supported by Technical Directorate expertise), TASinI (prime contractor), TASinF (PAS lead), Vorticity (parachute design and test analysis) and Arescosmo (parachute and bags manufacturing).

The ExoMars programme is a joint endeavour between ESA and Roscosmos. In addition to the 2020 mission, it also includes the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) launched in 2016. The TGO is already both delivering important scientific results of its own and relaying data from NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover and InSight lander. It will also relay the data from the ExoMars 2020 mission once it arrives at Mars in March 2021.

For further information, please contact:

ESA Newsroom and Media Relations

Email: media@esa.int

m.esa.int

ExoMars parachute progress

Positive steps towards solving the problems discovered with the ExoMars mission parachutes have been taken in the last month to keep on track for the July-August 2020 launch window.
m.esa.int
Click to expand...

At least that is some good news concerning the parachutes for the ExoMars lander, now all that is needed is for the next test to be successful.
 
It’s good to see ESA willing to seek help from another agency, especially as NASA has more experience with Mars parachutes.

Getting a probe safely to the surface of Mars is not easy: Numerous landing attempts have crashed. Sufficiently slowing a lander in the thin air requires plenty of sophisticated kit, including designer heat shields, powerful retrorockets, and, sometimes, giant airbags. But the European-Russian ExoMars mission is struggling with a bit of technology that hails from the 18th century: parachutes. High-altitude tests earlier this year revealed that ExoMars's chutes were tearing as they were pulled from their bags. The European Space Agency has turned to NASA colleagues for help, and this week, a joint team begins tests to see whether redesigned bags and chutes now work, and if not, why. It could be their last chance to fix the problem and preserve a launch scheduled for July 2020—or face another 2 years of delay.
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Science | AAAS

science.sciencemag.org science.sciencemag.org
 
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The ExoMars rover has been delayed to the next Martian launch window in eighteen months time as more testing needs to take place. Plus the fact experts working on the mission cannot travel to partner nations at this time.

www.nature.com

Europe’s first Mars rover delayed by two years

The European–Russian ExoMars mission to search for signs of life was meant to launch in July — but it needs more testing time.
www.nature.com www.nature.com
 
plus that freakkin' flu shutting down Italy and now France... (schools, kindergartens, high schools, universities... shut down. Basically we have been told that we young people are vectors for the goddam virus to kill the elderly and vulnerable people. As such, France is locking down its youth - no teaching but also no crowded events. Geez).
 
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