→ INSIDE EXOMARS quarterly newsletter

Issue 7 | May 2012

What’s new for this quarter:

– Bilateral cooperation between ESA and on the ExoMars programme, with → missions launching in 2016 Three of ESA’s ExoMars and 2018, is confi rmed. instrument prototypes were carried on this rover model during tests, simulating the – Russian instruments and two search for scientifi cally long-life platforms on compelling places to drill on . ESA will the Martian surface are among provide the ExoMars rover for the 2018 the additions to the new joint mission. exploration plan. Credit: CNES

– ESA will provide the full Shaping a new international cooperation to explore Mars ExoMars rover for the 2018 mission; this has already ESA and Roscosmos space agencies confi rmed their to one Martian year (687 passed its preliminary design cooperation for the implementation of two Mars Earth days), providing review. exploration missions as part of the ExoMars programme continuous electrical by signing a Declaration of Intent on 6 April 2012. They power and the heat – Independent assessment of agreed the overall division of responsibilities, while that will be necessary to the 2016 mission schedule has maintaining the launch dates in 2016 and 2018. survive the cold Martian been successfully completed, nights. The long-life enabling the release of funds In 2016, a and an Entry, Descent science platform will and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM), both include the DREAMS to industry until summer. manufactured in , will reach the Red Planet, (Dust characterisation, carrying instrumentation from ESA and Roscosmos. Risk assessment, and Environment Analyser on Each agency will develop two instruments that will the Martian Surface) package, which will provide be carried by the Orbiter to investigate gases that unique measurements of the surface environment are present in low concentrations in the Martian during the dust storm season, including the fi rst-ever atmosphere but which could provide evidence for atmospheric charging measurements on Mars. possible biological or geological activity. For the second mission, to be launched in 2018, The science mission of the EDM will be enhanced ESA and Roscosmos have agreed to send a large with the inclusion of Russian-developed instruments, capsule to Mars with a surface science platform a radioisotope thermoelectric generator and and a rover carrying both European and Russian radioisotope heater units. The latter two new features instruments. The two science stations will operate will extend the duration of nominal science operations in parallel, using the communications infrastructure → newsletter of the Trace Gas Orbiter. The carrier module for this Several tests with the full-size model of the mechanism mission will be developed by ESA in cooperation with that will give the correct separation velocity and spin Roscosmos; the descent and surface modules will be rate to the EDM when released from the Orbiter have developed by Roscosmos in cooperation with ESA. The been successfully completed, as have tests with the rover is being built by ESA; Roscosmos will contribute full-size model of the EDM surface platform crushable a number of scientifi c instruments. structure, which is designed to limit the landing shock and avoid damaging the equipment. The data Roscosmos will provide a launcher for both gathered during these test campaigns will support missions. the fi nalisation of the detailed design, which will be completed in the summer of 2012. Updates on payloads and design Under the new cooperation with Roscosmos, the overall design of the 2018 mission has been An independent assessment concluded that the current established. The rover teams have returned to the schedule for the 2016 mission could be met, enabling design that has successfully passed its preliminary the release of funds to industry until the end of June. design review in December 2010. This rover will weigh approximately 300 kg and carry an instrument The detailed design of the Trace Gas Orbiter is suite dedicated to exobiology and . The progressing, with special emphasis on the updated rover teams are now studying the overall mission interfaces with the Proton launcher and the scientifi c architecture, the interfaces with the descent module, instruments supplied by Roscosmos. In parallel, the model philosophy, the schedule and related the selection of the suppliers for all the spacecraft documentation. elements will be completed by September 2012 (80% of the suppliers have already been selected and 60% While the discussions on the architecture are of the contracts are currently signed). In the second advancing, testing activities for the rover elements half of 2012, functional models of all the spacecraft are ongoing. The drill tool electronics engineering electrical equipment will be manufactured and model, integrated with the fi rst version of the integrated into an electrical model of the complete software, was successfully tested on a new set of spacecraft, the Avionics Test Bench, which will serve Mars-analogue materials and the development and as a platform to verify the Orbiter’s functional design. testing of the autonomous navigation system is also progressing. The engineering model of the powder The EDM teams have completed the challenging task of sample handling system is being manufactured to revising the surface platform accommodation design test the complete sample handling and processing after the inclusion of the Russian scientifi c instruments, sequence by September 2012. radioisotope thermoelectric generator and radioisotope heater units. A review of the preliminary design of the ExoMars Timeline 2012 DREAMS science payload is currently under way. January Completion of study on possible cooperation with the Save the Date Russian Federal Space Agency February 5-7 June Mars - Connecting Planetary Scientists in ESA – Roscosmos report completed, confi rming Budapest, Europe bilateral cooperation on the ExoMars programme Hungary http://konkoly.hu/MPSE/ March Successful independent assessment of the 2016 mission schedule 12-14 June NASA workshop on concepts and approaches Preliminary Design Review of the DREAMS payload - Houston, U.S.A. for Mars exploration kick off http://www.lpi.usra.edu//meetings/ marsconcepts2012/ March – Mission concept review concluding on the joint Rover April architecture 14-22 July COSPAR 2012: 39th COSPAR Scientifi c Assembly The complete timeline is available by following the link Mysore, India and Associated Events http://exploration.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=47088 http://www.cospar-assembly.org/ Disclaimer: Future milestones are indicative and subject to change

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European Space Agency – ExoMars Programme Don McCoy http://exploration.esa.int/ [email protected] ExoMars Project Manager