Tag Archives: Trace Gas Orbiter

18:53 CEST: The ExoMars/TGO spacecraft completed its critical orbit-insertion manoeuvre at Mars today and its signals were received by ground stations at 18:34 CEST, just as expected. The timely re-acquisition indicates the engine burn went as planned, and mission controllers … Continue reading →

Updates from ESA’s space operations centre as the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter approaches and enters orbit around the Red Planet, and the Schiaparelli module lands on its surface. Red Planet Report ExoMars mission coverage here. [More at links]

The most critical moment so far in the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter’s journey will be Wednesday’s Mars Orbit Insertion burn – the long (ca. 134 mins) engine firing that will slow the spacecraft down sufficiently to be captured into Mars … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

[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 →