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Home , Beagle 2, Beagle 3, Kazachok, Mars Express, PanCam, Venus Express

FINDING ON INNOVATION

3.8 billion years ago, the planet A prototype of the ExoMars rover being tested within the Airbus aerospace premises at Stevenage in 2018. Sixty different lights were installed in the ‘sandpit’ to match the Mars spectrum © Airbus Mars was not unlike . Wrapped in a thick atmosphere, it had large quantities of liquid water on its surface and a strong magnetic field protecting it from cosmic radiation. But then The PanCam being tested on the ExoMars rover in Airbus’ cleanroom in Stevenage © Airbus, M Alexander something significant happened: UCL’s Mullard Space Science developed the idea of the and has been named ‘Rosalind the magnetic field disappeared Laboratory is the UK’s oldest 2 Martian . The Franklin’ after the UK chemist and the atmosphere evaporated and largest university-based mission infamously failed upon and X-ray crystallographer who FINDING LIFE into space. Mars turned into space technology and research landing on Christmas Day 2003, contributed to unravelling the the ‘red planet’ – dry, arid and facility. Over its more than only to be discovered on the double helix structure of our hostile. 50 years of existence, the surface of Mars by a NASA DNA. PanCam is one of nine That significant ‘something’ laboratory has contributed to orbiter 12 years later. instruments on board the rover happened at about the same missions including the Jupiter- The stereo camera aboard that will work together to make time that first life was evolving exploring Cassini, a , which Professor Coates that happen. on Earth, leading scientists to collaboration between NASA and his team had developed, ON MARS believe that, just like Earth, pre- and the didn’t get its chance to work. It climate-change Mars might have (ESA), and ESA’s flagship space did however provide the basis DRILLING FOR LIFE harboured primitive forms of life. telescopes Herschel, XMM- for PanCam (Panoramic Camera), PanCam, the only instrument The UK has sent dozens of spacecraft to space, but has never “The conditions on Mars Newton and . an instrument dubbed the led by a British team, will be the successfully landed one on another planet. Tereza Pultarova then were very similar to the scientific eyes of the European first to deploy once the rover conditions on Earth then,” said ExoMars rover. lands in the area, spoke to UK engineers working on the European ExoMars rover Professor Andrew Coates, of A DREAM THAT The rover, a pan-European near the equatorial belt of Mars. about the technology that will enable some ground-breaking the Department of Space and STARTED WITH project that was assembled While still sitting on top of the Climate Physics of University BEAGLE 2 over a period of 18 months Russian-made landing discoveries – including finding traces of what may have been College London (UCL). “We think For Professor Coates, the dream by Airbus UK in Stevenage, is platform, the rover will unfold its . that life could have started then of helping to find life on Mars expected to launch in July 2020. panels. Then, a two-metre because it had the same basic started in the 1990s when It is the first rover designed mast, with PanCam, NavCam (a substances there as Earth had.” a team of British scientists specifically to find life on Mars, set of navigation cameras) and

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and cosmic radiation. Drilling sorts of situations that it might to a greater depth than any encounter on Mars.” of the previous rover missions An additional two cameras, will allow soil samples to be located at the base of the mast, retrieved and analysed from an take images as the rover travels area where life might have been to measure where it is located able to survive. relative to the selected path. The Inside the rover’s analytical software controlling this part of drawer are three instruments the autonomous driving process that will analyse the sample is, according to Meacham, similar The PanCam engineering model in a clean bench, showing the fully integrated cameras and electronics © UCL/MSSL and look for signs of life – 2018, M. de la Nougerede to the Hawk- system used These are the filters that the ExoMars rover will use to view Mars in visible and near wavelengths. They are the MicrOmega visible and in sports such as tennis, which pictured here in their individual transport cases, before they were installed in the filter wheels of the Panoramic rovers, the European rover does navigation cameras located on take the image from the right Camera © UCL/MSSL, M. de la Nougerede infrared tracks the trajectory of a ball not have a direct link to Earth. the optical bench on the mast. camera and the left camera for mineralogy studies; the and displays its statistically ISEM (an infrared spectrometer) megapixel cameras sitting infrared spectrometer, the rover It sends and receives data via The navcams acquire black and and combine them together to RLS Raman Spectrometer likely path. mounted to the top of it, will be 50 centimetres apart, and a carries seven other instruments. the ExoMars , white images every two metres produce a 3D picture.” for identification of organic “It monitors a thousand erected. high-resolution camera for The close-up imager for which reached Martian orbit of the rover’s journey and just That enables the software in pigments; and the MOMA points on the terrain in front of Spinning around on its pan detailed inspection of rocks. detailed inspection of rocks is in 2016. like the PanCam cameras, are the rover to judge the rover’s organic molecule analyser that the rover and as the rover moves and tilt head, PanCam will take Each of the wide-angle cameras mounted next to the drill. The “We didn’t want to relatively low resolution. position with respect to the will look for signs of past and it sees where those points go its first panoramic image of Mars, has a wheel with 11 coloured ground-penetrating and effectively drive the rover like Meacham explains that objects in the image. The rover present life. and from that it can work out which will be beamed to Earth filters in front of it, which will neutron spectrometer, both a remote-controlled car from when sending technology to gradually builds up a navigation both its position and its attitude for the ground control team to enable the researchers to image located in the rear, will provide Earth, which is either really space, engineers are working map of the environment – pitch and roll,” Meacham said. analyse and decide which of the the surrounding surface at information about the geology inefficient or really dangerous with processing capabilities replacing low quality data with ON MARS ALONE After the software had landing platform’s two ramps to different wavelengths and build under the surface and the PanCam will also assist the because the time delay can be equal to what was commercially higher quality data, as it gets proven its abilities in the digital use to commence the ground- up the spectra in which the content of water in the ground. two navigation cameras in as much as 20 minutes in the available on the ground about closer to its targets. models, the engineers verified it breaking mission. rocks reflect light. The Ma_MISS multispectral generating input for the rover’s worst case in each way,” said 10 years ago. The process of The engineers trained the using ExoMars rover prototypes “PanCam is probably the “The filters are specifically imager that will be located in autonomous driving system. Paul Meacham, Lead Systems space-qualification is costly and software on thousands of in the Mars yard – a giant main instrument of what we dyed to be very good at looking the tip of the rover’s two-metre Navigation was one of Engineer on the ExoMars time-consuming and so cutting- scenarios; driving in a computer- sandpit mimicking the slopes call the ‘context instruments’ for water-rich minerals like clays drill will capture images as the the biggest challenges the Rover Vehicle Project at Airbus edge science and engineering generated Martian terrain and and rock composition on Mars, on the ExoMars rover,” said because that’s where signs of rover obtains its sample. This consortium of engineers Defence and Space. does not always have the simulating various situations the which was built at the Airbus UK Coates. “It will provide us with life potentially could be,” said two-metre drill is unique to working on building the “We built a system that most cutting-edge computing robot might find itself in. site in Stevenage. the geological and atmospheric Professor Coates. “It’s the best the Rosalind Franklin rover. Its rover for ESA had to solve. allows the rover to drive itself, capabilities at its disposal. “The digital model allows us context. It will show us the ever camera to be sent to Mars ability to drill up to two metres Having learned valuable which is more advanced than “That’s why we see in black to run these scenarios extremely landscape and help us see with this purpose.” below the surface enables it to lessons from their American that in the American rovers.” and white rather than in colour quickly,” said Meacham. “We FREEZING COLD where there are potentially The scientists can send only search for traces of life below colleagues operating NASA’s To be able to drive because it’s faster to process,” can drive our rover over all sorts The Rosalind Franklin rover interesting rocks or features to 10 images a day to Earth. These the top layer of Mars, which rovers, the engineers decided autonomously, the rover said Meacham. “But the critical of situations, over hundreds gets power from its solar array. explore and look for signs of life.” images will be used to decide is now a harsh place for life to to give the Rosalind Franklin needs to be able to perceive bit is that the cameras are very of metres, we can crash it The solar panels also charge a PanCam consists of two black where to direct the rover next. exist due to cold temperatures an unprecedented level of the surrounding terrain in 3D. carefully aligned with respect and then develop algorithms lithium-ion battery that powers and white wide-angle one- In addition to PanCam and the and the presence of ultraviolet autonomy. Unlike the American This is enabled by a set of two to each other, so you can so that the rover handles all the rover’s critical systems once

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maintain that level of cleanliness throughout the build and test match the thermal expansion phase.” or make mechanical thermal compensation devices so that the materials can be compliant A NOBEL PRIZE? to the movement due to the If all goes well, the rover, which temperature.” left Stevenage in August 2019, Both of the wide-angle will launch for Mars in 2020 A rendering of the ExoMars rover, which will be launched in the summer of 2020 and is due to land on the planet nine cameras, which had been – the is 26 months later © ESA/ATG medialab developed by Thales Alenia July to 13 August. It will reach the goes down. Martian radiation-only heat loss, which evaporate on the hot end. The Switzerland, as well as the high- Mars in the spring of 2021. The days, known as sols, are 39 happens in orbit. vapour travels along the pipe, resolution camera developed by engineers admit they will watch minutes and 35 seconds longer For the main body of the condenses on the cold end and the German Aerospace Centre, the landing with apprehension. than Earth days, and there are rover the Airbus engineers releases the heat.” had to be thoroughly tested, Landing on Mars is an extremely 668 sols in a Martian year. designed a solution that uses The rover can turn the together with all the electronics, tricky task. Of the nations that Especially in winter, the the same principle as double- system on and off automatically, circuit boards and interfaces. attempted the feat, only the temperature at night can drop glazed windows to prevent the reacting immediately when the The UCL team ran an Testing the Airbus UK prototype rover ‘Bridget’ in the caldera of Mount Teide, Tenerife in 2011, using the Aberystwyth US has so far been successful. as low as –130oC. Daytime convective heat loss. temperature changes. extensive test campaign, using University PanCam Emulator at the top of the mast © UCL/MSSL, A Griffiths The Beagle 2 mishap will be on temperature in Oxia Planum “The main structure of the The PanCam engineers had a refrigeration unit with liquid “We have quite a few local into space, the rover must be the rover. The same took place everybody’s minds, as well as could reach about 10oC. The rover, which we call the bath tub, to design their own temperature nitrogen to cool down the heaters, a few resistors that are completely free from any Earthly at the Mullard Space Science the failed landing of Schiaparelli, extreme temperature difference has a layer of cold gas trapped control mechanisms since the temperature of the device’s used for heating various parts of microorganisms or even traces Laboratory during the assembly an experimental landing the rover will be subject to can between the inner skin of the mast doesn’t fold back down sub-systems 320 times down to the board,” said Barry Whiteside, of organic material. of PanCam. platform sent to Mars with the cause potential problems for all bathtub and a kapton baffle” said after its initial deployment, –130oC and warming it back up PanCam electronics systems “There is a range of processes ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in of its systems. Airbus’ Meacham. “We have also leaving the optical bench to +50oC within a few hours. The engineer. “There is actually a rules require space agencies that all suppliers used to sterilise 2016. “Normally, satellite systems coated the structure in gold to completely unprotected. Due testing followed an accelerated whole heating sequence to get to prevent polluting other the components before they “But we have to be are only qualified to -50oC,” said stop heat loss by radiation.” to the massive temperature method, which meant the the instrument going. We will worlds with terrestrial ‘stuff’. sent them to Stevenage,” said optimistic,” concludes Professor Tom Hunt, PanCam Systems But overheating during the changes, the 56-centimetre cycle was much shorter than a warm up a power converter For ExoMars, the impeccable Meacham. “Most frequently, Coates. “If all goes well, we will Engineer at the Mullard Space day might be a problem too, aluminium structure of the Martian day would be, with the and the control electronics first cleanliness is even more they would use the dry heat discover that there indeed was Science Laboratory. “In orbit, Meacham said. With the rover’s optical bench holding the two device only staying at the lowest and once they are within the important as any contamination microbial reduction technique life on Mars in the past and where we send most of our motors and multiple instruments wide-angle cameras and the temperature for 15 minutes. After operating range, we can power could, in fact, wreck its mission. that essentially involves ‘cooking’ maybe get the Nobel Prize!” technology, the temperature is possibly running at the same high-resolution camera could every hundred cycles, all the solder the boards and then we use “The previous Mars rovers, the component at 125oC for More information at relatively stable. But with Mars time, the engineers had to think shrink by 2 millimetres. The joints and interfaces were carefully those to heat up the cameras such as , are geologists. 36 hours. Then we have to www.exploration.esa.int/mars it’s very different. We had to about how to remove the excess shrinking and expansion of the examined for the tiniest cracks. individually.” We are the biologist,” said plan and test specifically heat if needed. material could easily damage The electronic components, Meacham. “Because we have BIOGRAPHY for that.” “We have a loop heat pipe, the cameras’ lenses, the filters as all custom-designed, can instruments that are specifically Professor Andrew Coates has been at UCL’s Mullard Space Mars has a very thin which takes the heat from inside well as the electronics inside. operate down to a temperature BIO-HAZARD looking for organic molecules Science Laboratory since 1982, with temporary positions atmosphere that doesn’t keep the rover and transports it to “Interfaces within the box of –50oC. The rover won’t be ON MARS in the samples, we absolutely at Max Institute for Solar System Physics, Germany, the planet warm at night. On a radiator, which has a white have to be all from the same operating at night, and it might There is one other thing that cannot have any contamination.” University of Delaware, US and BBC World service. He is the other hand, the presence surface and dissipates the heat material,” said Hunt. “If we take an hour or two after sunrise has been completely new to Airbus built a new bio- Deputy Director (solar system) at UCL-MSSL. He is PI of the of an atmosphere causes the when we get too hot,” said need to use components that for the electronics inside the the teams building the ExoMars clean room in Stevenage and Rosalind Franklin (ExoMars 2020) PanCam team. He was spacecraft to lose heat through Meacham. “The loop heat pipe are from a different material, optical bench to warm up to the rover and its instruments. Unlike introduced new procedures involved in Cassini, Express, and . convection, as opposed to is filled with liquid that will such as the optics, we have to operating temperature. spacecraft that only travel for all engineers working on

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