Tag Archives: ExoMars 2020

ExoMars: Rover fitness trials in Spanish desert

Posted on November 28, 2018 by rburnham

The sun set on a week of trials for the ExoMars rover prototype named Charlie (in the foreground). The first of two field trials for the mission, known as ExoFiT, took place in the Tabernas desert in Spain between 13-26 … Continue reading →

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ExoMars: Oxia Planum landing site favored

Posted on November 9, 2018 by rburnham

[Ed. note: See also here.] The ExoMars Landing Site Selection Working Group has recommended Oxia Planum as the landing site for the ESA-Roscosmos rover and surface science platform that will launch to the Red Planet in 2020. The proposal will be … Continue reading →

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Sandstone outcrops seen with the ExoMars PanCam emulator

Posted on November 5, 2018 by rburnham

Planetary Geomorphology Image of the Month, November 1, 2018: Peter Fawdon (The Open University, U.K.). PanCam (Coates et al., 2017) is the imaging instrument on the 2020 ExoMars rover and consists of two wide angle cameras; (WAC’s) and a High … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: An ExoMars landing site

Posted on October 31, 2018 by rburnham

HiRISE plays an important role in finding suitable landing sites for future rover missions. Scientists have narrowed down the candidate landing sites for the upcoming European ExoMars rover mission to two regions: the plains of Oxia and Mawrth Vallis. Images … Continue reading →

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ExoMars 2020 rover set for tough environmental tests

Posted on May 30, 2018 by rburnham

A representative model of the ExoMars rover that will land on Mars in 2021 is beginning a demanding test campaign that will ensure it can survive the rigours of launch and landing, as well as operations under the environmental conditions … Continue reading →

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Toaster oven-sized chem lab to seek evidence of life on Mars

Posted on May 29, 2018 by rburnham

An international team of scientists has created a tiny chemistry lab for a rover that will drill beneath the Martian surface looking for signs of past or present life. The toaster oven-sized lab, called the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer or … Continue reading →

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ESA and NASA to investigate bringing martian soil to Earth

Posted on April 26, 2018 by rburnham

ESA and NASA signed a statement of intent today [April 26] to explore concepts for missions to bring samples of martian soil to Earth. Spacecraft in orbit and on Mars’s surface have made many exciting discoveries, transforming our understanding of … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Possible landing site for ExoMars rover in Mawrth Vallis

Posted on April 23, 2018 by rburnham

A possible landing site for the ExoMars rover in Mawrth Vallis. This digital terrain model (DTM) covers part of the proposed landing site for the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Rover at Mawrth Vallis. The proposed landing site is on the … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Candidate ExoMars landing site in Oxia Palus

Posted on April 16, 2018 by rburnham

Candidate ExoMars landing site in Oxia Palus region. Beautiful Mars series.

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ExoMars 2020: First parachute test successful

Posted on March 29, 2018 by rburnham

The largest parachute ever to fly on a Mars mission has been deployed in the first of a series of tests to prepare for the upcoming ExoMars mission that will deliver a rover and a surface science platform to the … Continue reading →

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