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October 14th, 2016
All is go as ESA’s ExoMars 2016 approaches Mars. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is set to dispatch its entry, descent and landing demonstrator module, Schiaparelli, on October 19.
Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
The European Space Agency’s ExoMars 2016 mission has made its final pre-arrival orbit correction maneuver.
ExoMars 2016 is a two part mission: the Trace Gas Orbiter approaches and enters orbit around the Red Planet, and the Schiaparelli module lands on its surface
Next major milestone is on October 16 with separation of Schiaparelli from the orbiter at 14:42 GMT/ 16:42 CEST.
Separation on Sunday
According to ESA, the October 14th burn was the last push needed to perfectly line the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) up on the right orbit to deliver Schiaparelli onto the surface three days after separation on Sunday.
Flight Director Michel Denis reported a very tiny underperformance from TGO’s thrusters, but the burn overall was very good.
The next TGO engine burn is scheduled for 12 hours after separation of Schiaparelli on October 17, raising the TGO’s orbit above Mars.
ESA’s Schiaparelli landing at Meridiani Planum on Mars on October 19, 2016.
Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
On October 19, Schiaparelli is slated to carry out its entry, descent and landing on Mars. Atmospheric entry expected 14:42 GMT / 16:42 CEST, landing 14:48 GMT / 16:48 CEST).
The “footprints” of Schiaparelli’s 15 descent camera images will follow a roughly clockwise order, from larger to smaller fields-of-view. In this simulated view, the first image is taken at about 3 kilometers (km) altitude and covers roughly 17 square km, while the final image is taken at about 1.5 km and covers 4.6 square km. The images are to be taken every 1.5 seconds.
Credit: Background map – NASA/JPL/MRO; simulation: ESA
All go!
Both the TGO orbiter and Schiaparelli demonstration lander are “go” for arrival, according to an ESA statement: “Schiaparelli is GO for entry, descent, landing and surface operations. TGO is GO for Mars orbit insertion.”
ESA’s ExoMars Project Manager Don McCoy said: “People have put their hearts and souls into this. We’re ready to go.”
Live coverage
Live coverage of ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter arrival and Schiaparelli landing on Mars will begin on October 16 with the separation of the two spacecraft.
Watch all livestreaming events here at:
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/Watch_ExoMars_arrival_and_landing
Posted in Space News
