Tag Archives: Meridiani Planum

ExoMars: Ready for the Red Planet

Next week, ESA’s ExoMars has just a single chance to get captured by Mars’ gravity. The spacecraft and the mission controllers who will make it so are ready for arrival. [Video above shows arrival orbits — Ed.] The ExoMars Trace … Continue reading

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ExoMars: Live updates for arrival & landing

Live coverage of ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter arrival and Schiaparelli landing on Mars will begin on 16 October with the separation of the two spacecraft. Watch all livestreaming events [at link above] or directly via ESA’s Livestream channel. _________________________________________________ [Ed. … Continue reading

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ExoMars: Schiaparelli’s descent camera views

As the ExoMars Schiaparelli module descends onto Mars on 19 October it will capture 15 images of the approaching surface. Scientists have simulated the view we can expect to see from the descent camera [see frame at right]. Schiaparelli will … Continue reading

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ExoMars: Schiaparelli being readied for landing

This week, the commands that will govern the Schiaparelli lander’s descent and touchdown on Mars were uploaded to ESA’s ExoMars spacecraft, en route to the Red Planet. The Trace Gas Orbiter has been carrying the Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing … Continue reading

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ExoMars 2016: Hazards of landing on Mars

[On October 4,  ExoMars 2016 is 11 days from the separation of the Schiaparelli lander from the Trace Gas Orbiter, and 14 days from Schiaparelli’s landing on Meridiani Planum. This ESA post describes the trials and tribulations of Mars landings … Continue reading

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ExoMars: Spotlight on Schiaparelli’s landing site

Schiaparelli, the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module of the joint ESA / Roscosmos ExoMars 2016 mission, will target the Meridiani Planum region for its October landing, as seen in this mosaic created from Mars Express images. The landing ellipse, … Continue reading

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ExoMars 2016: Landing site at Meridiani Planum

The ExoMars 2016 entry, descent, and landing demonstrator module, also known as Schiaparelli, will touch down on Meridiani Planum, a relatively smooth, flat region on Mars, on 19 October 2016. The landing is targeted to take place within the solid … Continue reading

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HiRISE: Landing site for ExoMars 2016

In March 2016, the European Space Agency in partnership with Roscosmos will launch the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. This orbiter will also carry an Entry, Descent, and Landing Demonstration Module (EDM): a lander designed primarily to demonstrate the capability to … Continue reading

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MARCI weather report, November 2-8, 2015

At the beginning of last week, condensate water-ice clouds associated with the aphelion cloud-belt were spotted over Tharsis, Arabia, and Syrtis Major. During this time, dust lifting activity was also observed over Aonia. At the end of the week, three … Continue reading

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ExoMars 2018 rover heading for Oxia Planum

Oxia Planum has been recommended as the primary candidate for the landing site of the ExoMars 2018 mission.  [HiRISE imaged the Oxia Planum landing site last summer.] ExoMars 2018, comprising a rover and surface platform, is the second of two … Continue reading

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