Red Planet Report

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 Gas Orbiter is on a multiyear mission to understand the methane and other gases in Mars’ atmosphere at low levels and could be evidence for possible biological or geological activity.

The 3.7 tonne mothership is carrying the 577 kg Schiaparelli lander that will test key technologies in preparation for ESA’s 2020 rover mission.

The pair have almost completed their 496 million km journey, and are now speeding towards a critical stage: releasing the lander on Sunday and the lander’s descent and touchdown next Wednesday, at the same time as the main craft begins circling the planet.

“They are now on a high-speed collision course with Mars, which is fine for the lander – it will stay on this path to make its controlled landing,” says flight director Michel Denis at mission control in Darmstadt, Germany.

“However, to get the mothership into orbit, we must make a small but vital adjustment on 17 October to ensure it avoids the planet. And on 19 October it must fire its engine at a precise time for 139 minutes… [More at link]

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.
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[Ed. note: Based on information from ESA’s space operations center, updates will cover the following expected milestones.]

• 14 October: TGO final trajectory manoeuvre (08:45 GMT)
• 16 October: Separation of Schiaparelli from TGO at 14:42 GMT / 16:42 CEST
• 17 October: TGO orbit-raising manoeuvre at 02:42 GMT / 04:42 CEST
• 19 October: TGO Mars orbit insertion and Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing on Mars (atmospheric entry expected 14:42 GMT / 16:42 CEST, landing 14:48 GMT / 16:48 CEST)
• 20 October: Update on Schiaparelli status; descent images expected
• 21+ October: Schiaparelli status reports until end of mission
(Note: Times shown above are actual event times at Mars; the one-way signal travel time between Earth and Mars is currently just under 10 minutes.)

The events of 16, 19 and 20 October will also be livestreamed here, all other events will be reported on this page and via Twitter from @esaoperations, @ESA_ExoMars, @ESA_TGO and @ESA_EDM, and via the hashtag #ExoMars. [More at links]

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 separate from its mothership, the Trace Gas Orbiter, on 16 October, with some six million km still to travel before entering the atmosphere of Mars at 14:42 GMT three days later.

Its descent will take just under six minutes, using a heatshield, parachute, thrusters and a crushable structure for the landing.  [More at link]