Video Kidibot

Tag: TGO

  • ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter completes aerobraking

    ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter completes aerobraking

    Since arriving at Mars in October 2016, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has been aerobraking its way into a close orbit of the Red Planet by using the top of the atmosphere to create drag and slow down. It is almost in the right orbit to begin observations – only a few hundred kilometres to go! With aerobraking complete, additional manoeuvres will bring the craft into a near-circular two-hour orbit, about 400 km above the planet, by the end of April. The mission’s main goal is to take a detailed inventory of the atmosphere, sniffing out gases like methane, which may be an indicator of active geological or biological activity. The camera will help to identify surface features that may be related to gas emissions. The spacecraft will also look for water-ice hidden below the surface, which could influence the choice of landing sites for future exploration. It will also relay large volumes of science data from NASA’s rovers on the surface back to Earth and from the ESA–Roscosmos ExoMars rover, which is planned for launch in 2020.

    Visit our website to learn more about ExoMars: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars

  • ESA Euronews: ExoMars at Mars

    ESA Euronews: ExoMars at Mars

    Scientists and engineers on the ExoMars project had their hearts in their mouths as the ExoMars mission reached the red planet, with the Schiaparelli probe going missing in action at the end of its descent just as the TGO mothership swept into a perfectly timed orbit.

    The rollercoaster ride of arrival at Mars is the first installment in this ambitious Russian and European project that aims for the first time to directly search for signs of life on Mars.

    The plight of Schiaparelli remains unclear. It is certainly on the Martian surface, but may well have hit the red dust much harder then engineers had planned, and nothing has been heard from it since.

    Data relayed during the lander’s descent shows the initial high-speed entry to the Martian atmosphere went well, with the heatshield slowing the craft and the parachute deploying. However once the back heat shield and parachute were ejected the flow of events did not go to plan.

    This video is available in the following languages:
    English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3eIilSYrok
    French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEXA_Fo7ABg
    German https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCCFOjP0ocw
    Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMnSKkSLLbA
    Italian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqi7XU0ojqI
    Portuguese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VyaoG_f51s
    Hungarian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7QLUBb5QbI
    Greek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlrNu0vselk

  • ExoMars: From separation to landing

    ExoMars: From separation to landing

    On 16 October, seven months and 500 million km after launching from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, the joint European and Russian ExoMars 2016 mission reaches a crucial phase.

    The Trace Gas Orbiter will release its Schiaparelli lander for a three day coast and a six minute descent to the Martian surface.The lander, which was designed to demonstrate technologies for entry, descent and landing on Mars, is heading for the Meridiani Planum. This is an area that is currently being studied by NASA’s Opportunity rover and Europe’s Mars Express orbiter.

    On 19 October, the Schiaparelli lander will be activated a few hours before reaching the Martian atmosphere, when it will be travelling at some 21 000 km/h. The front heatshield – covered with 90 insulating tiles – will be subjected to temperatures of up to 1500 degrees Celsius.

    This video covers the separation, descent and landing procedures, as well as the orbiter’s critical burn to avoid crashing on the surface of Mars.

  • ExoMars/TGO Deep Space Hangout

    ExoMars/TGO Deep Space Hangout

    Google hangout with ExoMars mission experts for an update on the cruise to Mars, the crucial mid-course manoeuvre on 28 July and the upcoming preparations for the arrival phase. The hangout was held on 26 July at 16:00 CEST/14:00 GMT.

    Since launch on 14 March, ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and the Schiaparelli landing demonstration module have been en route to the Red Planet.

    The hangout included mission updates and a live Q&A with ESA experts and scientists, focusing on the crucial milestones during the spacecraft’s seven-month cruise to the Red Planet.  

    The hangout was hosted by Daniel Scuka (ESA Spacecraft Operations Editor) who was joined by:

    ** Michel Denis – ExoMars Flight Director, ESOC
    ** Silvia Sangiorgi – ExoMars Deputy Spacecraft Operations Manager, ESOC
    ** Michael Khan – Mission Analyst, ESOC
    ** Ian Thomas – NOMAD (spectrometer) Project Manager, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy

    Background info on #ExoMars :
    http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars
    http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/ExoMars_TGO_operations