Tag Archives: ESA

ExoMars: Trace Gas Orbiter Google hangout

Posted on July 22, 2016 by rburnham

Join us for a Google hangout with ExoMars mission experts for an update on the cruise to Mars, next week’s crucial mid-course manoeuvre and preparations for the arrival phase. The hangout will be live on YouTube on 26 July at … Continue reading →

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HRSC: MEX spies nameless, ancient impact crater

Posted on July 18, 2016 by rburnham

This striking perspective view from ESA’s Mars Express shows an unnamed but eye-catching impact crater on Mars. This region sits south-west of a dark plain named Mare Serpentis (literally ‘the sea of serpents’), which in turn is located in Noachis … Continue reading →

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ExoMars: Schiaparelli lander mid-cruise report

Posted on June 23, 2016 by rburnham

With just over half of the journey to Mars completed, the Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing module has carried out its mid-cruise checkout. DREAMS and DECA have called home to report that they are in good health. The Schiaparelli module, … Continue reading →

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ExoMars: TGO’s CaSSIS sends its first Mars image

Posted on June 16, 2016 by rburnham

The Mars Camera CaSSIS on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captured its first images of the Red Planet this week. The pictures are a part of the mission’s preparations for arriving at its destination in October. CaSSIS (Colour and Stereo … Continue reading →

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ExoMars: A little help from friends

Posted on June 15, 2016 by rburnham

ESA’s first Mars orbiter will provide an important helping hand when the second arrives at the Red Planet in October. Following lift off in March, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Schiaparelli lander are now enroute to Mars, with … Continue reading →

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ExoMars: Checking in with the Trace Gas Orbiter

Posted on June 15, 2016 by rburnham

Three months since launch and with a little over 260 million km to travel before reaching Mars, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter instruments are running through their paces this week during the mid-course checkout tests. Back in April, the first … Continue reading →

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ESA: Mars triptych

Posted on May 26, 2016 by rburnham

This triptych brings together three excellent images of Mars acquired this month by two cameras in space and one in Australia. The image at left was taken on 22 May by amateur astrophotographer Dylan O’Donnell from his home-built backyard observatory … Continue reading →

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Mars Express: Mars Webcam goes pro

Posted on May 25, 2016 by rburnham

A modest ‘webcam’ on Mars Express has proven useful for outreach, education and citizen-science. Now ESA have decided to adopt it as a professional science instrument. Mars Express was launched in 2003 with a simple, low-resolution camera to provide visual … Continue reading →

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ExoMars: Dusty arrival for Schiaparelli lander?

Posted on May 24, 2016 by rburnham

In October 2016, the Schiaparelli capsule, also known as the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM), is scheduled to make the first landing on Mars by an ESA spacecraft. Will it be greeted by a raging dust storm? What … Continue reading →

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Mars mystery plumes caused by space weather?

Posted on May 23, 2016 by rburnham

Mysterious high-rise clouds seen appearing suddenly in the martian atmosphere on a handful of occasions may be linked to space weather, say Mars Express scientists. [The results are published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] Amateur astronomers using telescopes on … Continue reading →

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