ExoMars
Encyclopedia
ExoMars is a Europe
an-led robotic mission to Mars
currently under development by the European Space Agency
(ESA) with collaboration by NASA
. Since its inception it has gone through several phases of planning with various proposals for landers, orbiters, launch vehicles, and international cooperation planning, such as the 2009 Mars Exploration Joint Initiative
(MEJI) with the United States. , an ExoMars orbiter examining trace gases and a short-life static lander test is planned for 2016, and one rover—ExoMars rover—for 2018.
Originally conceived as a rover with a static ground station, ExoMars was planned to launch in 2011 aboard a Soyuz Fregat rocket. Within the framework of the new Mars Joint Exploration Initiative signed by NASA and ESA in July 2009, the drastically delayed ExoMars mission was combined with other projects to a multi-spacecraft programme divided over two Atlas V
-launches: the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) was merged into the project, piggybacking a static meteorological lander being slated for launch in 2016. The accompanying NASA MAX-C rover was cancelled in 2011 in favor of one joint ExoMars rover.
as a Flagship mission and was approved by Europe's space ministers in December 2005. Initially planned to launch in 2011, Italy
, a leading nation on the ExoMars mission, decided to limit its financial contribution, causing the first of three delays.
In 2007 Canadian-based technology firm MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) was selected for a one-million-euro contract with EADS Astrium
of Britain to design and build a prototype Mars rover chassis for the European Space Agency. Astrium was also contracted to design the final rover.
In July 2009 NASA and ESA signed the Mars Joint Exploration Initiative, which significantly altered the technical and financial setting of the ExoMars mission. On June 19, when the rover was still planned to piggyback on the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter, it was reported that a prospective agreement would require that ExoMars lose enough weight to fit aboard the Atlas vehicle with NASA's orbiter.
In August 2009 it was announced that the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos and ESA had signed a collaboration agreement that included cooperation on two Mars exploration projects: Russia's Phobos-Grunt
project and ESA's ExoMars. Specifically, ESA secured a Russian Proton rocket as a backup launcher for the ExoMars rover, which should also include Russian-made parts.
In October 2009 it was reported that under the agreed Mars Joint Exploration Initiative, the project would consist of two separate launches: a lander/orbiter mission in 2016 and a rover mission in 2018, each with a significant NASA role, including the use of two Atlas V rockets. This initiative would apparently reconcile technological and science goals with available budgets.
In December 17, 2009, the ESA governments gave their final approval to a two-part Mars exploration programme to be conducted with NASA, confirming their commitment to spend €850 million ($1.23 billion) on missions in 2016 and 2018. Another €150 million needed for operating the mission will be solicited during a meeting of ESA government ministers in late 2011 or early 2012. Unlike some ESA programmes, the ExoMars financing will not include a 20% margin for cost overruns, however.
A group of scientists will be testing instruments being developed for the ExoMars missions in Morocco
, chosen by reason of its arid and varied landscape. One of the first tests scheduled for 2011 will be the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM).
In April 2011, because of a budgeting crisis, a proposal was announced to fly only one rover in 2018 that would be larger than either of the vehicles in the paired concept - ExoMars (ESA) and Max-C (NASA). One suggestion is that the new vehicle would be built in Europe and take a mix of European and U.S. instruments. NASA would provide the rocket to get it into Mars and the 'Sky Crane' landing system. Despite the proposed reorganisation, the goals of the 2018 mission opportunity would stay broadly the same. These would be to look for signs of past or present life by drilling down into the soil, and packaging or caching rocks that can be picked up and despatched to Earth laboratories by a subsequent mission. In April 2011 MAX-C was canceled.
objectives, in order of priority, are:
The technological objectives to develop are:
:
to be launched on 2018. The presence of methane in Mars' atmosphere is intriguing because its likely origin is either present-day life or geological activity. Upon the arrival of the rover in 2018/2019, the orbiter would be transferred into a lower orbit where it would be able to perform analytical science activities as well as provide the EDM lander and ExoMars rover with telecommunication relay. The TGO would continue serving as a relay satellite for future landed missions until 2022.
) concluded to launch all mission elements with two rockets, which generated new payload reviews, so it was decided to first demonstrate ESA's new descent and landing system technology on the EDM lander, so its payload and operation time will be very limited.
The Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) will provide Europe with the technology for landing on the surface of Mars with a controlled landing orientation and touchdown velocity. After entering the Martian atmosphere, the module will deploy a parachute and will complete its landing by using a closed-loop Guidance, Navigation and Control system based on a Radar Doppler Altimeter sensor and on-board Inertial Measurement Units. The latter will guide a liquid propulsion system which will produce a semi-soft touchdown on the surface of Mars by the actuation of clusters of thrusters to be operated in pulsed on-off mode.
The EDM will be landing during the dust storm season, this will provide a unique chance to characterise a dust-loaded atmosphere during entry and descent, and to conduct surface measurements associated with a dust-rich environment. Once on the surface, it will measure the wind speed and direction, humidity, pressure and surface temperature, and determine the transparency of the atmosphere. It will also make the first measurements of electrical fields at the planet's surface. A color camera system is included in the payload. The EDM lander is expected to operate on the surface of Mars for a short time (about 8 sols) by using the excess energy capacity of its batteries. Its proposed landing site is the Meridiani Planum
because it is almost flat and without too many rocks, ideal for its airbag landing system.
s Spirit and Opportunity. Temporary plans considered a downsized version with a reduced weight of . Instrumentation will consist of the 'Pasteur Payload' containing, among other instruments, a 2 meter sub-surface drill
.
The carrier module will deliver the descent module to Mars from a hyperbolic approach trajectory after which the Sky-crane landing system will ensure a soft landing with high accuracy. Once safely landed on the Martian surface the solar powered
rover would begin a 218-sol mission. To counter the difficulty of remote control due to communication lag, ExoMars will have autonomous software for visual terrain navigation
using compressed stereo images from mast mounted panoramic and infrared cameras and independent maintenance. For this purpose it creates digital maps from navigation stereo pair cameras and autonomously finds the adequate trajectory. Close-up collision avoidance cameras are used to ensure safety enabling the vehicle to navigate and safely travel approximately 100 meters per day. After the lander has been released and landed on the surface of Mars, the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter will operate as the rover's data-relay satellite.
It was thought two rovers active at the same location could lead to synergies, such as bistatic radar
surveys between the two rovers. The MAX-C rover would collect, analyze, and cache the most valuable samples in a manner suitable for return to Earth by a future mission. When the idea of the two rovers delivered to the same location on Mars was active, their science objectives and instruments was to be complementary in order to minimize duplication. Advantages of operating two rovers in the same area are: rover to rover imaging, cross analysis of similar geological targets, a low-frequency ground-penetrating radar
on MAX-C and listen with ExoMars, and the MAX-C could receive and cache some of the most valuable subsurface samples collected by ExoMars for a later sample retrieval mission.
ESA has already worked out a framework agreement with the Russian Space Agency that would allow it to cooperate on ExoMars, including provision of backup launch services and a payload contribution, along with mission support. The backup launcher is the Proton rocket, which is a four-stage rocket that was previously used to launch the Salyut 6
, Salyut 7
, Mir
and some International Space Station
components.
rover.
As of November 2007, the potential landing sites are:
However, the 2009 discovery of methane sources on the planet makes them a high value target for exploration. The presence of methane is intriguing because its likely origin is either present-day life or geological activity; confirmation of either would be a major discovery. Methane occurres in extended plumes, and the profiles imply that the methane was released from discrete regions. The profiles suggest that there may be two local source regions, the first centered near 30° N, 260° W and the second near 0°, 310° W. To determine the optimal landing site and secure telecommunications, it was decided to include the Mars Trace Gas Mission orbiter in the 2016 launch in order to map beforehand what appears to be seasonal methane production. The rover could then investigate the methane sources identified by the orbiter.
s may still flourish in protected places underground or within rock cracks and inclusions. The science package in the ExoMars rover will hold a variety of instruments to study the environment
for past or present habitability
and possible biosignature
s on Mars. The first instrument proposal (2004) is as follows:
is devised to acquire soil samples down to a maximum depth of 2 metres, in a variety of soil types. The drill will acquire a core sample in diameter x in length), extract it and deliver it to the inlet port of the Rover Payload Module, where the sample will be distributed, processed and analyzed. The ExoMars Drill embeds the Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma-Miss) which is a miniaturised IR spectrometer devoted to the borehole exploration. The system will complete experiment cycles and at least 2 vertical surveys down to 2 metres (with four sample acquisitions each). This means that a minimum number of 17 samples shall be acquired and delivered by the drill for subsequent analysis.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an-led robotic mission to Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
currently under development by the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
(ESA) with collaboration by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. Since its inception it has gone through several phases of planning with various proposals for landers, orbiters, launch vehicles, and international cooperation planning, such as the 2009 Mars Exploration Joint Initiative
Mars Exploration Joint Initiative
The Mars Exploration Joint Initiative is an agreement signed between United states' space agency, NASA, and Europe's space agency, ESA to join resources and expertise in order to continue the exploration of the planet Mars. The agreement was signed in Washington D.C...
(MEJI) with the United States. , an ExoMars orbiter examining trace gases and a short-life static lander test is planned for 2016, and one rover—ExoMars rover—for 2018.
Originally conceived as a rover with a static ground station, ExoMars was planned to launch in 2011 aboard a Soyuz Fregat rocket. Within the framework of the new Mars Joint Exploration Initiative signed by NASA and ESA in July 2009, the drastically delayed ExoMars mission was combined with other projects to a multi-spacecraft programme divided over two Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
-launches: the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) was merged into the project, piggybacking a static meteorological lander being slated for launch in 2016. The accompanying NASA MAX-C rover was cancelled in 2011 in favor of one joint ExoMars rover.
Background and mission history
Since its beginnings in the early 2000s, ExoMars was subject to massive political and financial strife. Originally, the ExoMars concept consisted of one single, large robotic rover being part of ESA's Aurora programmeAurora Programme
The Aurora programme is a human spaceflight programme of the European Space Agency established in 2001 with the primary objectives of creating, and then implementing, a European long-term plan for exploration of the Solar System using robotic spacecraft and human spaceflight...
as a Flagship mission and was approved by Europe's space ministers in December 2005. Initially planned to launch in 2011, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, a leading nation on the ExoMars mission, decided to limit its financial contribution, causing the first of three delays.
In 2007 Canadian-based technology firm MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) was selected for a one-million-euro contract with EADS Astrium
EADS Astrium
Astrium Satellites is one of the three business units of Astrium, a subsidiary of EADS. It is a European space manufacturer involved in the manufacture of spacecraft used for science, Earth observation and telecommunication, as well as the equipment and subsystems used therein and related ground...
of Britain to design and build a prototype Mars rover chassis for the European Space Agency. Astrium was also contracted to design the final rover.
In July 2009 NASA and ESA signed the Mars Joint Exploration Initiative, which significantly altered the technical and financial setting of the ExoMars mission. On June 19, when the rover was still planned to piggyback on the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter, it was reported that a prospective agreement would require that ExoMars lose enough weight to fit aboard the Atlas vehicle with NASA's orbiter.
In August 2009 it was announced that the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos and ESA had signed a collaboration agreement that included cooperation on two Mars exploration projects: Russia's Phobos-Grunt
Phobos-Grunt
Fobos-Grunt or Phobos-Grunt was an attempted Russian sample return mission to Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. It was launched on 9 November 2011 at 02:16 local time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, but subsequent rocket burns intended to set the craft on a course for Mars failed, leaving it...
project and ESA's ExoMars. Specifically, ESA secured a Russian Proton rocket as a backup launcher for the ExoMars rover, which should also include Russian-made parts.
In October 2009 it was reported that under the agreed Mars Joint Exploration Initiative, the project would consist of two separate launches: a lander/orbiter mission in 2016 and a rover mission in 2018, each with a significant NASA role, including the use of two Atlas V rockets. This initiative would apparently reconcile technological and science goals with available budgets.
In December 17, 2009, the ESA governments gave their final approval to a two-part Mars exploration programme to be conducted with NASA, confirming their commitment to spend €850 million ($1.23 billion) on missions in 2016 and 2018. Another €150 million needed for operating the mission will be solicited during a meeting of ESA government ministers in late 2011 or early 2012. Unlike some ESA programmes, the ExoMars financing will not include a 20% margin for cost overruns, however.
A group of scientists will be testing instruments being developed for the ExoMars missions in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, chosen by reason of its arid and varied landscape. One of the first tests scheduled for 2011 will be the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM).
In April 2011, because of a budgeting crisis, a proposal was announced to fly only one rover in 2018 that would be larger than either of the vehicles in the paired concept - ExoMars (ESA) and Max-C (NASA). One suggestion is that the new vehicle would be built in Europe and take a mix of European and U.S. instruments. NASA would provide the rocket to get it into Mars and the 'Sky Crane' landing system. Despite the proposed reorganisation, the goals of the 2018 mission opportunity would stay broadly the same. These would be to look for signs of past or present life by drilling down into the soil, and packaging or caching rocks that can be picked up and despatched to Earth laboratories by a subsequent mission. In April 2011 MAX-C was canceled.
Mission objectives
The ExoMars mission's scientificScience
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
objectives, in order of priority, are:
- to search for possible biosignatureBiosignatureA biosignature is any substance -such as an element, isotope, or molecule - or phenomenon that provides scientific evidence of past or present life. Measurable attributes of life include its complex physical and chemical structures and also its utilization of free energy and the production of...
s of Martian lifeLife on MarsScientists have long speculated about the possibility of life on Mars owing to the planet's proximity and similarity to Earth. Fictional Martians have been a recurring feature of popular entertainment of the 20th and 21st centuries, but it remains an open question whether life currently exists on...
, past or present. - to characterise the waterWater on MarsWater on Mars is a psychedelic rock and electronic music group from Quebec City, Québec, Canada. The music trio is led by Philippe Navarro, guitarist, vocalist, arranger, producer, principal lyricist, and music composer....
and geochemical distribution as a function of depth in the shallow subsurface. - to study the surface environment and identify hazards to future manned missions to MarsManned mission to MarsA manned mission to Mars has been the subject of science fiction, engineering, and scientific proposals throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century...
. - to investigate the planet's subsurface and deep interior to better understand the evolution and habitability of Mars.
- achieve incremental steps ultimately culminating in a sample return flight.
The technological objectives to develop are:
- landing of large payloads on Mars.
- to exploit solar electric powerSolar powerSolar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
on the surface of Mars. - to access the subsurface with a drill able to collect samples down to a depth of two metres (just below the degradating reach of UV light, oxidants and ionizing radiation.)
- to develop surface exploration capability using a rover.
Mission architecture
According to current plans, the ExoMars mission will comprise three spacecraft elements sent in two launches, both from FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
:
| Contributing agency | First launch in 2016 | Second launch in 2018 |
|---|---|---|
 |
Launch vehicle: Atlas V 411 | Launch vehicle: Atlas V 551 |
| 4 unspecified instruments for TGO | Landing system: Sky-crane | |
 |
Trace Gas Orbiter | ExoMars rover |
| static meteorological lander | ||
| Entry, descent and landing system (EDL) |
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), to be launched on January 2016, will deliver the ExoMars EDM lander and then proceed to map the sources of methane on Mars and other gases, and in doing so, help select the landing site for the ExoMars roverRover (space exploration)
A rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet or other astronomical body. Some rovers have been designed to transport members of a human spaceflight crew; others have been partially or fully autonomous robots...
to be launched on 2018. The presence of methane in Mars' atmosphere is intriguing because its likely origin is either present-day life or geological activity. Upon the arrival of the rover in 2018/2019, the orbiter would be transferred into a lower orbit where it would be able to perform analytical science activities as well as provide the EDM lander and ExoMars rover with telecommunication relay. The TGO would continue serving as a relay satellite for future landed missions until 2022.
ExoMars EDM lander
The ExoMars 'Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module' (EDM) is a static lander originally planned to carry a group of eleven instruments collectively called the "Humboldt payload" that would be dedicated to investigate the geophysics of the deep interior. But a payload confirmation review in the first quarter of 2009 resulted in a severe descope of the lander instruments, and the Humboldt suite was cancelled entirely. The ESA-NASA collaboration (Mars Exploration Joint InitiativeMars Exploration Joint Initiative
The Mars Exploration Joint Initiative is an agreement signed between United states' space agency, NASA, and Europe's space agency, ESA to join resources and expertise in order to continue the exploration of the planet Mars. The agreement was signed in Washington D.C...
) concluded to launch all mission elements with two rockets, which generated new payload reviews, so it was decided to first demonstrate ESA's new descent and landing system technology on the EDM lander, so its payload and operation time will be very limited.
The Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) will provide Europe with the technology for landing on the surface of Mars with a controlled landing orientation and touchdown velocity. After entering the Martian atmosphere, the module will deploy a parachute and will complete its landing by using a closed-loop Guidance, Navigation and Control system based on a Radar Doppler Altimeter sensor and on-board Inertial Measurement Units. The latter will guide a liquid propulsion system which will produce a semi-soft touchdown on the surface of Mars by the actuation of clusters of thrusters to be operated in pulsed on-off mode.
The EDM will be landing during the dust storm season, this will provide a unique chance to characterise a dust-loaded atmosphere during entry and descent, and to conduct surface measurements associated with a dust-rich environment. Once on the surface, it will measure the wind speed and direction, humidity, pressure and surface temperature, and determine the transparency of the atmosphere. It will also make the first measurements of electrical fields at the planet's surface. A color camera system is included in the payload. The EDM lander is expected to operate on the surface of Mars for a short time (about 8 sols) by using the excess energy capacity of its batteries. Its proposed landing site is the Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum is a plain located 2 degrees south of Mars' equator , in the westernmost portion of Terra Meridiani. It hosts a rare occurrence of gray crystalline hematite...
because it is almost flat and without too many rocks, ideal for its airbag landing system.
2018 launch
Plans call for the use of NASA's sky crane entry, descent and landing (EDL) system to deliver the rover on the surface of Mars.ExoMars rover
The ExoMars rover is a highly autonomous six-wheeled terrain vehicle and will weigh ca. more than NASA's Mars Exploration RoverMars Exploration Rover
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission is an ongoing robotic space mission involving two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, exploring the planet Mars...
s Spirit and Opportunity. Temporary plans considered a downsized version with a reduced weight of . Instrumentation will consist of the 'Pasteur Payload' containing, among other instruments, a 2 meter sub-surface drill
Drill
A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
.
The carrier module will deliver the descent module to Mars from a hyperbolic approach trajectory after which the Sky-crane landing system will ensure a soft landing with high accuracy. Once safely landed on the Martian surface the solar powered
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
rover would begin a 218-sol mission. To counter the difficulty of remote control due to communication lag, ExoMars will have autonomous software for visual terrain navigation
Machine vision
Machine vision is the process of applying a range of technologies and methods to provide imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and robot guidance in industrial applications. While the scope of MV is broad and a comprehensive definition is difficult to distil, a "generally accepted...
using compressed stereo images from mast mounted panoramic and infrared cameras and independent maintenance. For this purpose it creates digital maps from navigation stereo pair cameras and autonomously finds the adequate trajectory. Close-up collision avoidance cameras are used to ensure safety enabling the vehicle to navigate and safely travel approximately 100 meters per day. After the lander has been released and landed on the surface of Mars, the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter will operate as the rover's data-relay satellite.
- See more about EM rover
MAX-C rover (cancelled)
It had been proposed that ESA ExoMars rover would be deployed together with a smaller NASA rover, the Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C). However, this was canceled in April 2011 in favor of a single larger joint ESA-NASA rover and for budget cuts.It was thought two rovers active at the same location could lead to synergies, such as bistatic radar
Bistatic radar
Bistatic radar is the name given to a radar system which comprises a transmitter and receiver which are separated by a distance that is comparable to the expected target distance. Conversely, a radar in which the transmitter and receiver are collocated is called a monostatic radar...
surveys between the two rovers. The MAX-C rover would collect, analyze, and cache the most valuable samples in a manner suitable for return to Earth by a future mission. When the idea of the two rovers delivered to the same location on Mars was active, their science objectives and instruments was to be complementary in order to minimize duplication. Advantages of operating two rovers in the same area are: rover to rover imaging, cross analysis of similar geological targets, a low-frequency ground-penetrating radar
Ground-penetrating radar
Ground-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
on MAX-C and listen with ExoMars, and the MAX-C could receive and cache some of the most valuable subsurface samples collected by ExoMars for a later sample retrieval mission.
Launch vehicle(s)
Under the agreed collaboration, NASA will provide two Atlas V rockets, as it was decided to divide the weight of the ExoMars system in two launches.ESA has already worked out a framework agreement with the Russian Space Agency that would allow it to cooperate on ExoMars, including provision of backup launch services and a payload contribution, along with mission support. The backup launcher is the Proton rocket, which is a four-stage rocket that was previously used to launch the Salyut 6
Salyut 6
Salyut 6 , DOS-5, was a Soviet orbital space station, the eighth flown as part of the Salyut programme. Launched on 29 September 1977 by a Proton rocket, the station was the first of the 'second-generation' type of space station. Salyut 6 possessed several revolutionary advances over the earlier...
, Salyut 7
Salyut 7
Salyut 7 was a space station in low Earth orbit from April 1982 to February 1991. It was first manned in May 1982 with two crew via Soyuz T-5, and last visited in June 1986, by Soyuz T-15. Various crew and modules were used over its lifetime, including a total of 12 manned and 15 unmanned launches...
, Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
and some International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
components.
Landing system and proposed landing sites
If the collaboration with NASA takes place as proposed, it would be possible to implement NASA's new skycrane entry and descent system to be used on the Mars Science LaboratoryMars Science Laboratory
The Mars Science Laboratory is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission with the aim to land and operate a rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars. The MSL was launched November 26, 2011, at 10:02 EST and is scheduled to land on Mars at Gale Crater between August 6 and 20, 2012...
rover.
As of November 2007, the potential landing sites are:
- Mawrth VallisMawrth VallisMawrth Vallis is a valley on Mars at 22.3°N, 343.5°E with an elevation approximately two kilometres below datum. It is an ancient water outflow channel with light-colored clay-rich rocks.Mawrth Vallis is one of the oldest valleys on Mars...
- Nili FossaeNili FossaeNili Fossae is a fracture in the surface of Mars that has been eroded and partly filled in by sediments and clay-rich ejecta from a nearby crater. It is located at approximately 22°N, 75°E, and has an elevation of...
- Meridiani PlanumMeridiani PlanumMeridiani Planum is a plain located 2 degrees south of Mars' equator , in the westernmost portion of Terra Meridiani. It hosts a rare occurrence of gray crystalline hematite...
- Holden CraterHolden (Martian crater)Holden is a 140 km wide crater on Mars, located with the southern highlands. It is named after Edward Singleton Holden, an American astronomer, and the founder of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific....
- Gale Crater
However, the 2009 discovery of methane sources on the planet makes them a high value target for exploration. The presence of methane is intriguing because its likely origin is either present-day life or geological activity; confirmation of either would be a major discovery. Methane occurres in extended plumes, and the profiles imply that the methane was released from discrete regions. The profiles suggest that there may be two local source regions, the first centered near 30° N, 260° W and the second near 0°, 310° W. To determine the optimal landing site and secure telecommunications, it was decided to include the Mars Trace Gas Mission orbiter in the 2016 launch in order to map beforehand what appears to be seasonal methane production. The rover could then investigate the methane sources identified by the orbiter.
Instrumentation of the ExoMars rover
The present environment on Mars is exceedingly hostile for the widespread proliferation of surface life: it is too cold and dry and receives large doses of solar UV radiation as well as cosmic radiation. Notwithstanding these hazards, basic microorganismMicroorganism
A microorganism or microbe is a microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters, or no cell at all...
s may still flourish in protected places underground or within rock cracks and inclusions. The science package in the ExoMars rover will hold a variety of instruments to study the environment
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
for past or present habitability
Planetary habitability
Planetary habitability is the measure of a planet's or a natural satellite's potential to sustain life. Life may develop directly on a planet or satellite or be transferred to it from another body, a theoretical process known as panspermia...
and possible biosignature
Biosignature
A biosignature is any substance -such as an element, isotope, or molecule - or phenomenon that provides scientific evidence of past or present life. Measurable attributes of life include its complex physical and chemical structures and also its utilization of free energy and the production of...
s on Mars. The first instrument proposal (2004) is as follows:
Imaging system
The Panoramic Camera System (PanCam) has been designed to perform digital terrain mapping for the rover and to search for morphological signatures of past biological activity preserved on the texture of surface rocks. The PanCam assembly includes two wide angle cameras for multi-spectral stereoscopic panoramic imaging, and a high resolution camera for high-resolution colour imaging. The PanCam will also support the scientific measurements of other instruments by taking high-resolution images of locations that are difficult to access, such as craters or rock walls, and by supporting the selection of the best sites to carry out exobiology studies.Drill
The ExoMars core drillCore drill
A core drill is a drill specifically designed to remove a cylinder of material, much like a hole saw. The material left inside the drill bit is referred to as the core....
is devised to acquire soil samples down to a maximum depth of 2 metres, in a variety of soil types. The drill will acquire a core sample in diameter x in length), extract it and deliver it to the inlet port of the Rover Payload Module, where the sample will be distributed, processed and analyzed. The ExoMars Drill embeds the Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma-Miss) which is a miniaturised IR spectrometer devoted to the borehole exploration. The system will complete experiment cycles and at least 2 vertical surveys down to 2 metres (with four sample acquisitions each). This means that a minimum number of 17 samples shall be acquired and delivered by the drill for subsequent analysis.
Analytical laboratory instruments
These instruments are placed internally and used to study collected samples:- Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) consists of a laser desorption ion source and a GC-MS spectrometry. The laser desorption ion source is capable to evaporate organic molecules even if they are not volatile, while the GC separates the highly volatile small molecules within the gas chromatograph. The final analysis of both instruments is done with an ion trap mass spectrometerQuadrupole ion trapA quadrupole ion trap exists in both linear and 3D varieties and refers to an ion trap that uses constant DC and radio frequency oscillating AC electric fields to trap ions. It is commonly used as a component of a mass spectrometer...
.
- Infrared imaging spectrometer (MicrOmega-IR) is an infrared imaging spectrometer that can analyse the powder material derived from crushing samples collected by the drill. Its objective is to study mineral grain assemblages in detail to try to unravel their geological origin, structure, and composition. These data will be vital for interpreting past and present geological processes and environments on Mars. Because MicrOmega-IR is an imaging instrument, it can also be used to identify grains that are particularly interesting, and assigned them as targets for Raman and MOMA-LDMS observations.
- Mars X-Ray DiffractometerX-ray crystallographyX-ray crystallography is a method of determining the arrangement of atoms within a crystal, in which a beam of X-rays strikes a crystal and causes the beam of light to spread into many specific directions. From the angles and intensities of these diffracted beams, a crystallographer can produce a...
(Mars-XRD) - Powder diffractionPowder diffractionPowder diffraction is a scientific technique using X-ray, neutron, or electron diffraction on powder or microcrystalline samples for structural characterization of materials.-Explanation:...
of X-RayX-rayX-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s will give exact composition of the crystalline minerals. This instrument includes also an X-ray fluorescence capability that can provide useful atomic composition information.
- Raman spectrometerRaman spectroscopyRaman spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique used to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system.It relies on inelastic scattering, or Raman scattering, of monochromatic light, usually from a laser in the visible, near infrared, or near ultraviolet range...
(Raman) will provide geological and mineralogical context information complementary to that obtained by MicrOmega-IR. It is a very useful technique employed to identify mineral phases produced by water-related processes.
- Ground-penetrating radarGround-penetrating radarGround-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
, called WISDOM (for Water Ice and Subsurface Deposit Information On Mars) will explore the subsurface of Mars to identify layering and help select interesting buried formations from which to collect samples for analysis. It can transmit and receive signals using two, small Vivaldi-antennaVivaldi-antennaA Vivaldi-antenna is a co-planar broadband-antenna, which is made from a on both sides metalized dielectric plate.The feeding line excites a circular space via a microstrip line, terminated with a sector-shaped area....
s mounted on the aft section of the rover. Electromagnetic waves penetrating into the ground are reflected at places where there is a sudden transition in the electrical parameters of the soil. By studying these reflections it is possible to construct a stratigraphic map of the subsurface and identify underground targets down to 2 to 3 m depth, comparable to the 2-m reach of the rover's drill. These data, combined with those produced by the PanCam and by the analyses carried out on previously collected samples, will be used to support drilling activities.
- Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma-MISS) is an infrared spectrometerInfrared spectroscopyInfrared spectroscopy is the spectroscopy that deals with the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, that is light with a longer wavelength and lower frequency than visible light. It covers a range of techniques, mostly based on absorption spectroscopy. As with all spectroscopic...
located inside the drill. Ma-MISS will observe the lateral wall of the borehole created by the drill to study the subsurface startigraphy, to understand the distribution and state of water-related minerals, and to characterize the geophysical environment. The analyses of unexposed material by Ma-MISS, together with data obtained with the spectrometers located inside the rover, will be crucial for the unambiguous interpretation of the original conditions of Martian rock formation.
Autonomous navigation
The ExoMars Rover is designed to navigate autonomously across the surface. A pair of stereo cameras allow the rover to build up a 3D map of the terrain, which the navigation software then uses to assess terrain around it so that it avoids obstacles and find the most efficient route.See also
- AstrobiologyAstrobiologyAstrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry,...
- Mars Astrobiology Explorer-CacherMars Astrobiology Explorer-CacherThe Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher was a NASA concept for a Mars rover mission, proposed to be launched in 2018 together with the European ExoMars rover...
- MAX-C rover (canceled April 2011) - Mars Science LaboratoryMars Science LaboratoryThe Mars Science Laboratory is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission with the aim to land and operate a rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars. The MSL was launched November 26, 2011, at 10:02 EST and is scheduled to land on Mars at Gale Crater between August 6 and 20, 2012...
rover - Mars Trace Gas Mission (aka ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter)
- Life on MarsLife on MarsScientists have long speculated about the possibility of life on Mars owing to the planet's proximity and similarity to Earth. Fictional Martians have been a recurring feature of popular entertainment of the 20th and 21st centuries, but it remains an open question whether life currently exists on...
- Mars Exploration RoverMars Exploration RoverNASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission is an ongoing robotic space mission involving two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, exploring the planet Mars...
- Mission with two rovers - PathfinderMars PathfinderMars Pathfinder was an American spacecraft that landed a base station with roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a lightweight wheeled robotic rover named Sojourner.Launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II booster a...
- Mars rover - Viking programViking programThe Viking program consisted of a pair of American space probes sent to Mars, Viking 1 and Viking 2. Each spacecraft was composed of two main parts, an orbiter designed to photograph the surface of Mars from orbit, and a lander designed to study the planet from the surface...
External links
- ESA main web site
- Raman-LIBS spectrometer for ExoMars Combined Raman-LIBS spectrometer for ExoMars
- EADS Astrium ExoMars rover vehicle