The ExoMars 2016 mission consists of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and an entry, descent and landing demonstrator module, known as Schiaparelli. The TGO will search for signs of life from Mars orbit and for evidence of water-ice deposits on and just beneath the surface. Schiaparelli will test technologies in preparation for subsequent ESA missions to Mars.
dom Member
Posts: 855 From: Registered: Aug 2001
posted 03-14-2016 12:56 PM
That's one lucky (real) bird flying away from the rocket at lift-off!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-14-2016 04:36 PM
ESA update:
Signal from ExoMars TGO confirmed! We have a mission to Mars!
Both solar arrays confirmed deployed.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-21-2016 11:49 AM
ESA photo release
For asteroid hunters, ExoMars offers a perfect target because its departure mimics, in reverse, the approach of a small near-Earth object, or NEO. These include rocky asteroids formed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter which head towards Earth every so often.
For the ExoMars launch, ESA's NEO coordination center in Italy organized an international campaign for ground-based optical observations of the departing spacecraft.
Quick imaging of a rapidly moving object whose location is only approximately known in a short time window is akin to what would happen if an asteroid were discovered on an imminent impact trajectory with Earth.
The predicted path of ExoMars provided by ESA's Space Debris Office in the Agency's operations center in Darmstadt, Germany – home to ExoMars mission control – was converted by the NEO center into pointing information for telescopes.
This information was then shared widely with ESA's network of collaborating observatories in the southern hemisphere, from where ExoMars was observable. Excellent images were acquired by Alison Tripp and Sarah Roberts using a 1 m-diameter telescope in Australia, and by Grant Christie at the Stardome Observatory in Auckland, New Zealand.
The most remarkable images, however, were acquired just before midnight local time by the Observatório Astronômico do Sertão de Itaparica team in Brazil led by Daniela Lazzaro, with Sergio Silva at the telescope.
In their images, the spacecraft appears as a bright object surrounded by at least six other fainter spots – elements of Proton's discarded upper stage – moving together in the sky (see red arrows in annotated version below).
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 867 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 03-21-2016 02:34 PM
Just for interest's sake, does anyone know approximately how far away from the Earth the ExoMars was in these images?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-21-2016 02:43 PM
I can't find a distance cited, but there is reference to the images being captured near the time that the Earth escape burn was performed. Based on that, ESA earlier stated that ExoMars would be about 3,000 miles (4,900 km) above the Earth when the Briz-M performed that final burn.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-22-2016 11:39 AM
The "six fainter spots" described as "elements of Proton's discarded upper stage" appears to indicate something went wrong with the Briz-M upper stage after ExoMars separated, Anatoly Zak reports for Popular Mechanics.
...Briz-M was supposed to separate cleanly in one large piece without producing any additional fragments. Secondly, and more importantly, after the separation the space tug was programmed to fire twice to propel itself to a safe disposal orbit as far away from its former cargo as possible. The resulting "graveyard" trajectory would ensure that the "blind and deaf" space tug, now drifting through interplanetary space, would not come anywhere near Mars, where it could contaminate the planet's pristine environment with Earth's bugs. (Unlike Mars landers, rocket stages are not sterilized in accordance with strict international standards.)
According to sources in the Russian space industry, the first of Briz-M's two collision-avoidance maneuvers was to last around 12 seconds. Once it was a safe distance from ExoMars, the rocket stage would fire again, this time for around 1.5 minutes, until the engine consumed all the remaining explosive propellant aboard. Upon completion of the second maneuver, valves would open to vent the high-pressure gas used to force propellant into the engines.
That's what's supposed to happen. The initial info available to Russian tracking experts after the launch of ExoMars indicated that Briz-M had worked as planned. But the latest tracking photos indicate that something happened before the spacecraft had had a chance to go into its graveyard orbit.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-05-2016 08:53 AM
The head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency on March 31 rebutted claims from amateur satellite watchers that the Proton rocket's upper stage came apart in orbit March 14 shortly after releasing the Euro-Russian ExoMars satellite, reports SpaceNews.
Briefing reporters in Moscow, Igor A. Komarov reiterated statements made by Proton prime contractor Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, saying the Breeze-M upper stage separated ExoMars without incident and then proceeded with the standard passivation and collision-avoidance maneuvers.
Komarov said he had seen photos taken from a Brazilian ground telescope that appeared to show small objects in the vicinity of the Breeze-M stage and ExoMars.
"I do have these pictures, provided by the Brazilian observatory, showing the ExoMars spacecraft surrounded by some dimly illuminated objects reportedly related to the upper stage," Komarov said.
"Telemetry and other objectively verifiable data available to us, covering the entire time from the separation and the contamination and collision avoidance maneuvers to the passivation of the upper stage, show that all these steps have been performed successfully, without any anomalies," Komarov said. "There is absolutely no indication of an upper-stage explosion or breakup."
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-16-2016 06:02 PM
The Schiaparelli lander separated from the Trace Gas Orbiter on Sunday (Oct. 16) in preparation for its landing on Wednesday (Oct. 19).
The Schiaparelli module was released from the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) at 14:42 GMT (16:42 CEST; 10:42 a.m. EDT) as planned.
Today, three days before gravity will ensure the arrival of ExoMars 2016 at Mars, the Schiaparelli Entry, Descent & landing demonstrator Module separated from the TGO orbiter and is now en route on a ballistic trajectory to reach the Red Planet, enter its atmosphere and land softly in an area close to the equator known as Meridiani Planum.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-19-2016 04:05 AM
European Space Agency update:
The ExoMars/TGO orbiter is in great shape and ready to swing into orbit around Mars, while the Schiaparelli lander is programmed to wake up at about 15:37 CEST [9:37 a.m. EDT] for its landing demonstration mission.
There is a cooperative international "listening in' campaign ready to monitor signals from the landing module as it conducts the critical entry, descent and landing sequence today, leading to touch down and the start of surface science at about 16:48 CEST [10:48 a.m. EDT]. The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in India will listen from Earth, while a fleet of NASA and ESA orbiters listen from Mars orbit.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-19-2016 10:07 AM
Whether intact or in pieces, Schiaparelli is now on Mars. Just waiting for a signal (or lack thereof) to find out its fate...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-19-2016 12:26 PM
From the European Space Agency on Twitter:
Schiaparelli recording from Mars Express is inconclusive — not clear yet what the status of the lander is.
In better news, the Trace Gas Orbiter appears to have made it into Mars' orbit.
Acquisition of orbiter signal! ESOC hears Trace Gas Orbiter's signal loud and clear after it emerges from behind Mars.
Flight Dynamics need around two hours of data to confirm we've reached orbit with Trace Gas Orbiter, should come around 20:30 CEST.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-19-2016 01:45 PM
From the Trace Gas Orbiter (@ESA_TGO) on Twitter:
YES! CONFIRMED! I'm in Mars orbit!
From ESA Operations regarding Schiaparelli:
Experts will work through the night to assess the @ESA_EDM situation - next news will be tomorrow morning at 10:00 CEST.
Paul78zephyr Member
Posts: 675 From: Hudson, MA Registered: Jul 2005
posted 10-21-2016 11:17 PM
Europe's Schiaparelli lander not only slammed into Mars at "a considerable speed," but it may have exploded on impact, a new photo from a U.S. orbiter has revealed.
This must be a big disappointment for ESA. I cannot believe MRO found the EDM that fast. I'm looking forward to seeing the HiRISE pics.
Robert can you comment on what ESA spent on the EDM and compare that to what NASA spent on similar Mars missions?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-22-2016 12:36 AM
ESA, to my knowledge, has not publicly broken out the individual cost of Schiaparelli, or, for that matter, the ExoMars 2016 mission (including Trace Gas Orbiter). It states on its website:
The European cost of the ExoMars programme is €1.3 billion (under economic conditions of 2008), assuming launches in 2016 and 2020.
That means ESA's cost is about $1.5 billion. (The amount being spent on ExoMars by Roscosmos, NASA and others is not included. I haven't seen a total budget for the program.)
Keep in mind that Schiaparelli wasn't designed to be a full-fledged Mars landing mission. It was a demonstrator with a very basic science package. NASA never launched a comparable spacecraft — it went full bore with each of its landers and rovers.
But for comparison's sake, NASA's 2008 Phoenix lander cost the U.S. $386 million, including the launch.
Paul78zephyr Member
Posts: 675 From: Hudson, MA Registered: Jul 2005
posted 10-22-2016 06:39 PM
Robert, thank you very much for that information and analysis. It is appreciated.
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3120 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 10-24-2016 11:36 AM
Robert's mention of NASA's Phoenix lander reminds us that that success ultimately grew from the failure of Mars Polar Lander in 1999. I seem to recall that MPL's failure was due to a faulty rocket-engine design.
It's too early to draw any conclusions from the crash of Schiaparelli, but it looks like everything worked up to the end of the parachute phase. The crash site is comfortably within the landing ellipse, so guidance wasn't a problem. Faulty rocket system? Faulty software switching the rockets off too soon? We'll see.
I'm tempted to say that the operation was nearly a success, but the patient died.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-24-2016 03:06 PM
Early indications, according to ESOC director of operations Rolf Densing (via Susanne Auer):
Cause of Schiaparelli crash: Radar-altimeter software timed out, leading on board computer to think it was on ground and shut-off retro thrusters.
Brian Bayley Member
Posts: 32 From: Merseyside UK Registered: Nov 2004
posted 10-27-2016 06:54 PM
From ESA's release:
It is possible the hydrazine propellant tanks in the module exploded preferentially in one direction upon impact, throwing debris from the planet's surface in the direction of the blast, but more analysis is needed to explore this idea further.
How can anything "explode" in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide, a gas which doesn't support combustion? Please excuse my ignorance if the answer is obvious.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4437 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
Methane (CH4) is an organic molecule present in gaseous form in the Earth's atmosphere. More than 90% of methane on our home planet is produced by living organisms. The recent detection of plumes of methane in the northern hemisphere of Mars is of great interest because of its potential biological origin, though other explanations may also be possible.
Ross Member
Posts: 472 From: Australia Registered: Jul 2003
posted 03-28-2017 08:48 AM
quote:Originally posted by Brian Bayley: How can anything "explode" in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide, a gas which doesn't support combustion?
The word explosion only refers to a sudden outburst of a fluid, usually a gas. It can be caused by a number of events, only one of which requires oxygen.
In the case in point the hydrazine is under pressure. If the vessel is ruptured or the welds become weak, etc., there can be a sudden release of pressure often causing a larger rupture. This is often referred to as an explosion.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4437 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-27-2018 10:42 AM
After 1,000 orbits around Mars, the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has reached its ideal position to study the planet's atmosphere and has made its first scientific observations, Nature reports.
It is poised to solve one of the most controversial mysteries in Martian science: why methane, a possible signature of life, is being released on the red planet.
posted 03-14-2016 12:54 PM
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