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Exomars

All articles tagged with #exomars

Solar Superstorm Expands Mars's Ionosphere, Revealing Space Weather on the Red Planet
science1 month ago

Solar Superstorm Expands Mars's Ionosphere, Revealing Space Weather on the Red Planet

A May 2024 solar superstorm from sunspot AR3664 produced an X2.9 flare and a coronal mass ejection that not only triggered a major Earth geomagnetic storm but also dramatically swelled Mars’s lower ionosphere—nearly threefold—as solar plasma and X‑rays flooded the planet’s upper atmosphere. ESA’s Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter used radio occultation to measure the changes, showing how solar activity injects energy and particles into Mars’s atmosphere and highlighting its ongoing atmospheric loss. The orbiters briefly glitching during the storm but ultimately recovering demonstrates the value of radiation‑hard spacecraft for space weather studies.

via Gizmodo|
#exomars#ionosphere#mars
Explore Ares Vallis: A Virtual Mars Flyover
science1 year ago

Explore Ares Vallis: A Virtual Mars Flyover

ESA's Mars Express offers a virtual flight over Ares Vallis on Mars, showcasing the planet's ancient water-carved landscapes, including channels, islands, and chaotic terrain. The tour highlights significant sites like NASA's Pathfinder landing area and the planned ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover site. The film, created using high-resolution data and digital terrain models, provides a detailed view of Mars's water-rich history and geological features.

via European Space Agency|
#ares-vallis#esa#exomars
"Thales Alenia Space Secures Major Contract for ExoMars Mission"
space-exploration2 years ago

"Thales Alenia Space Secures Major Contract for ExoMars Mission"

The European Space Agency has awarded a 522 million euro contract to Thales Alenia Space to resume work on the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission, which aims to search for evidence of past or present life on Mars. The new contract will replace Russian contributions and involve the development of a new landing platform, with NASA providing aerobraking engines and radioisotope heating units. The mission is now scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of 2028, marking a major stabilization of the program after being derailed by geopolitical issues.

via SpaceNews|
#esa#exomars#mars-rover
"High-Resolution Map Guides European Mars Rover's Search for Ancient Life"
space2 years ago

"High-Resolution Map Guides European Mars Rover's Search for Ancient Life"

The European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover will use a newly detailed geological map of its landing zone on Mars to aid its search for ancient life. The rover's mission, delayed to October 2028 due to geopolitical events, will involve drilling into clay sediments to retrieve samples for analysis by on-board instruments. The map, created by 80 volunteers during COVID lockdown, identifies 15 specific types of geologic units in the Oxia Planum region, providing crucial guidance for the rover's journey and potential discovery of biosignatures.

via Space.com|
#european-space-agency#exomars#geological-map
"House bill aims to fund Mars Sample Return while limiting cooperation on ExoMars due to potential risks to Earth"
space2 years ago

"House bill aims to fund Mars Sample Return while limiting cooperation on ExoMars due to potential risks to Earth"

House appropriators have released a report accompanying the commerce, justice, and science spending bill for fiscal year 2024, fully funding NASA's Mars Sample Return program at $949.3 million and instructing NASA to request the necessary funding in 2025 to ensure the sample retrieval lander and Earth return orbiter missions launch by 2030. However, the report also blocks funding for NASA's support of the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover. The House bill reduces funding for Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics, and biological and physical sciences compared to the Senate bill, and provides specific language directing NASA to prioritize proximity to the current curator for the receiving facility of extraterrestrial samples.

via SpaceNews|
#exomars#funding#house-appropriators
Upcoming ExoMars lander contract announcement expected soon
science-and-astronomy2 years ago

Upcoming ExoMars lander contract announcement expected soon

The European Space Agency (ESA) is set to issue a contract opportunity to design a new lander for the ExoMars mission, following the loss of the Russian lander due to the severed partnership between Russia and ESA. The mission, originally scheduled for 2020, is now expected to launch no earlier than 2028. To save the mission, ESA has approved a record-breaking budget of 16.9 billion Euros ($17.6 billion) over three years, with hopes of receiving additional funding from NASA. The ExoMars mission includes the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Rosalind Franklin rover, which is designed to search for signs of Martian life.

via Space.com|
#european-space-agency#exomars#lander
Mars mission set to revolutionize our knowledge.
space2 years ago

Mars mission set to revolutionize our knowledge.

The European Space Agency's ExoMars program is set to launch its Rosalind Franklin rover in 2028, carrying a next-generation mass spectrometer that could help answer the question of whether there is evidence of past or present life on Mars. The instrument, known as the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer, will analyze any carbon-containing material found underneath Mars's surface, looking for molecular patterns that are unlikely to be formed in the absence of living biology. The rover will land at a Martian site that likely had water 4 billion years ago, and a drill will retrieve ancient samples from as deep as two meters.

via Ars Technica|
#exomars#life-on-mars#mars
Mars mission set to revolutionize our knowledge.
space2 years ago

Mars mission set to revolutionize our knowledge.

The European Space Agency's ExoMars program is set to launch its Rosalind Franklin rover in 2028, carrying a next-generation mass spectrometer that could help answer the question of whether there is evidence of past or present life on Mars. The instrument, known as the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer, will analyze any carbon-containing material found underneath Mars's surface, looking for molecular patterns that are unlikely to be formed in the absence of living biology. The rover will land at a Martian site that likely had water 4 billion years ago, and a drill will retrieve ancient samples from as deep as two meters.

via Ars Technica|
#exomars#life-on-mars#mars
ExoMars rover undergoes deep testing.
science-and-exploration3 years ago

ExoMars rover undergoes deep testing.

The European Space Agency's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover has successfully drilled down 1.7 meters into a martian-like ground in Italy, collecting samples for scientific analysis. The rover's deep drilling capabilities are crucial to answering the question of whether there was, or is, life on Mars. The targeted landing site for the rover, Oxia Planum, is an area where sediments might preserve traces of an ancient water-rich Mars environment. The mission is set to launch in 2028.

via European Space Agency|
#deep-drilling#exomars#mars
ExoMars Mission Successfully Resumes Journey to Mars
space3 years ago

ExoMars Mission Successfully Resumes Journey to Mars

The European Space Agency's ExoMars mission, which was put on hold in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is back on track with new tests being conducted on the rover's Earth twin Amalia. The Rosalind Franklin rover has unique drilling capabilities and an on-board science laboratory unrivalled by any other mission in development. The mission has been reshaped with new European elements, including a lander, and a target date of 2028 for the trip to Mars. The aim is to create an independent European capability to access the surface of Mars with a sophisticated robotic payload.

via European Space Agency|
#exomars#mars#planetary-protection