Exomars restarts with Thales Alenia Space, all the details
After the suspension decided by the European Space Agency in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Exomars mission restarts. Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract worth half a billion euros for the continuation of activities that will bring a European rover to Mars in search of traces of life
The European Exomars mission restarts, the first rover mission to search for signs of life on the Red Planet.
It was March 2022 when the European Space Agency (ESA) suspended the Mars rover mission in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after the Russian state space agency Roscosmos stopped its operations at the European spaceport.
But two years later, ESA relaunches the Exomars program by signing a procurement contract with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between the French Thales (67%) and the Italian Leonardo (33%), to build the key elements of this ambitious Mars exploration mission.
The contract, worth approximately 522 million euros, includes the construction of the Entry, Descent and Landing Module (EDLM) on Mars and the maintenance and reconfiguration activities of the vehicles already built for the Mars mission. 2022.
All the details.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE EXOMARS MISSION TO MARS
Launched in 2003, initially scheduled for 2018, in 2020 ESA and Roscosmos had decided to postpone the launch of the joint Exomars mission due to the Covid pandemic, until September 2022. The technical problems linked to development weighed on the decision of the spacecraft and the possible travel restrictions resulting from the pandemic, Axios recalled.
Then, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Space Agency decided to suspend Exomars in 2022. The mission was scheduled to launch that year from the Guiana Space Center aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.
WHICH NOW STARTS AGAIN WITHOUT A FLY
“After the decision of the ESA ministerial council at the end of 2022 to continue the program with an extension of 500 million euros over three years, ESA is industrially relaunching ExoMars (ExoMars 2028) with the aim of replacing the systems developed by the Russians, in particular the lander” reports La Tribune .
“Maintaining all scientific objectives, the European mission to Mars – explains ESA – restarts thanks to the determination of the European Space Agency, with the support of the Italian Space Agency, the United Kingdom Space Agency and the renewed partnership with the Nasa”.
The ExoMars 2028 Program represents an unprecedented challenge, in scientific and technological terms, from the innovative materials used, to the development of the software for the navigation, control and landing system on the surface of Mars.
WHEN THE MISSION WILL START
Led by ESA, with the important participation of the American space agency NASA and with the support of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the ExoMars 2028 mission will provide a European rover capable of autonomous driving on the surface of the planet.
The mission is scheduled to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center between October and December 2028.
WHO WILL IT BE LAUNCHED BY
According to La Tribune, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Boeing and Lockheed Martin's United Launch Alliance (Ula) will compete for this launch.
THE TARGET
So Exomars' Rosalind Franklin rover will search for traces of life on the surface of Mars, trying to answer questions that have long fascinated humanity.
Scheduled to reach Mars in 2030 after a long journey, the rover, equipped with a drill developed by Leonardo at the Nerviano (Milan) factory, will collect soil samples by drilling into the Martian soil, up to 2 meters deep. It will analyze their chemical, physical and biological properties using its analytical laboratory (Analytical Laboratory Drawer ALD) developed by Thales Alenia Space. One of the objectives of the mission is to search for bacteria underground, living or fossilized, which would constitute evidence of existing or previous life on the Red Planet.
THALES ALENIA SPACE LEADS THE EXOMARS INDUSTRIAL CONSORTIUM
At an industrial level, Thales Alenia Space leads a consortium that includes Airbus Defense & Space -UK for the Rover and for the mechanical, thermal and propulsion systems of the landing module; ArianeGroup (France) for the front shield and thermal protection part of the aeroshell; OHB (Germany) for the carrier module and ALTEC (Italy) for the Rover operations control center (ROCC). The French teams of Thales Alenia Space are responsible for the development of part of the aeroshell (the rear shield), while Thales Alenia Space in Switzerland will provide the chambers and the electronic control unit of the braking motors of the landing module, the note indicates of the Italian-French jv.
THE WORK PROVIDED FOR BY THE NEW CONTRACT
And now Thales Alenia Space Italia confirms its role as industrial prime contractor of the ExoMars 2028 mission.
With responsibility for the design of the EDLM module, the creation of its Radar Altimeter, the Analytical Laboratory, its integration on the Rover and the on-board computer, Thales Alenia Space is also responsible for the integration of the test activities and the launch campaign, explains the company led by Massimo Comparini in a note.
In particular, the contract includes the design of the EDLM modules, and maintenance activities for the transfer module (carrier) and the rover, including the updating and replacement of all those time-sensitive elements. A full audit and testing is planned for the rover to confirm its operability for the new mission, as well as the replacement of some payload components with the inclusion of a new infrared spectrometer (ENFYS). Also for the transfer module there will be the replacement of elements subject to natural wear over time, and possible adaptation to the new mission profile, taking into account the new launch trajectories towards Mars. The descent module and landing platform require a new design and development phase, considering the reuse of the European avionics of the descent module.
EXOMARS, THE WORDS OF THE CEO OF THALES ALENIA SPACE ITALIA
“We are truly honored by ESA's renewed trust in our company by entrusting us with the activities for the restoration and continuation of this challenging mission to discover traces of life on Mars – declared Massimo Comparini, CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italia. – Thales Alenia Space's advanced technology, know-how and experience make us protagonists of space exploration. Today we celebrate the continuation of an extraordinary international program, the result of the synergy and cooperation between the agencies and the space industry. We are ready for the crucial months that await us – continues Comparini – and confident in our ability to continue to expand the boundaries of the exploration of the universe, thanks to the constant work of our specialized engineers and technicians, committed every day to carrying forward challenges such as these".
THE TRACE GAS ORBITER BUILT BY THALES ALENIA SPACE AROUND MARS IS ACTIVE
Meanwhile, the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), protagonist of the first part of the ExoMars mission launched in 2016, built as prime contractor by Thales Alenia Space, is active in orbit around Mars, with the task of detecting trace gases in the Martian atmosphere, in particular methane. The TGO probe, which plays a key role in understanding potential indicators of life on Mars, also continues to transmit the majority of data, including that of NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, making a contribution to ongoing scientific research.
According to Thales Alenia Space, the TGO still has a significant amount of fuel on board and its operational life will be extended to support the ExoMars 2028 mission.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/riparte-exomars-con-thales-alenia-space-tutti-i-dettagli/ on Tue, 09 Apr 2024 14:27:19 +0000.