On Monday, March 14 at 10 h 31 (Paris time), a Proton rocket to blast off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a Russian space center in Kazakhstan. On board, a sensor probe gas, called Trace Gas Orbiter for TGO and a lander called Schiaparelli, in tribute to the Italian astronomer of the same name, fervent architect of mapping the Red Planet in the nineteenth century. Two instruments supposed to kick off the mission ExoMars Mars exploration launched by the European Space Agency in the early 2000s, but suffered since many mishaps. twists mainly related to budgetary issues, which led to a partnership with NASA initially concluded – and eventually broke through it. – Working closely with the Russian space agency Roscosmos
Continue rollout live on the CNES site is here!
Objective of this first component ExoMars 2016? What a program! First, with Schiaparelli, Europe intends to prove that it is able to land on Mars. Next, the placement in orbit of TGO must prepare the ground for the central part of the mission, a mobile robot capable of drilling the soil of the Red Planet, whose launch is planned for 2018 (but more likely in 2020), and that the probe will act as a transmission relay. Finally, both will attempt to unlock the secrets of Martian methane that keeps scientists in suspense for a good ten years. Why methane? First and foremost, because, on Earth, gases – CH4 chemical formula – is often closely related to living. As for pets cows and other ruminants. Then, because his research on Mars has so far turned a little vaudeville. Suddenly, there it is. The other, not. Scientists are never able to be completely sure of anything in the matter.
Stalking the elusive methane
But thanks to TGO, all that should change soon. Indeed, the orbiter is equipped with gas detection instruments, including when present in trace amounts, high performance. “The level necessary for these two spectrometers detect the presence of a gas of any kind, in the Martian atmosphere should be reduced by a factor of 100 compared to everything that has been done before,” says Franck Montmessin laboratory atmospheres, backgrounds, space observations (CNRS / UPMC / UVSQ), chief scientist of the only French instrument EuroMars Mission, 2016 (Micro-ARES).
in addition, the orbit of TGO truly optimized for this detection. “So far, the probes that observe Mars were placed on sun-synchronous orbits. This means that they observe the surface of the planet at a very special time, always the same, “says Antoine Pommerol of the Institute of Physics of the University of Bern. “It’s great to do a mapping since obtained homogeneous lighting conditions. However, this prevents studying all daily dynamic, “says planetary scientist, co-investigator on the Swiss camera blackcurrant TGO team. “The probe ExoMars in 2016 will not be placed on this type of orbit and will therefore allow us to observe the red planet at different local times,” he said.
The probe will be able to detect traces of these gases at a point and at a given time, with its spectrometers (NOMAD and ACS), then make images of the surface with high-definition imaging (blackcurrant) designed and manufactured to university Berne to determine the geological context of the measure. Indeed, if there is methane, the most interesting would obviously be to achieve identify the source, since it can be of biological origin, it can also be the result of other phenomena, purely geological.
on the water trail
“This particular camera has been optimized for images, morning and evening, which correspond to relative humidity peaks in Mars atmosphere. Times when salts or other chemical compounds present on the surface that can absorb atmospheric water and move to the brine state. A process which is believed could be involved in the flows observed on the slopes of some craters, recurring slope lineae (RSL), “said Antoine Pommerol. Lastly, to follow this vein water so precious to life, a last instrument called FREND (Fine Resolution epithermal Neutron Detector) should also help to detect water (H2O) – essentially ice – in this the first meter below the surface of Mars with unprecedented spatial resolution.
in order to best accomplish its mission, still some way to improve the understanding of the Martian habitability, the probe will operate TGO in two modes. A fashion “solar occultation” where the satellite will look at the Sun in the process of crossing the horizon, to analyze how the light is affected by the passage through the atmosphere of Mars. A very favorable method for detecting gases, including when present in very small quantities. A fashion “ship” where he looks the atmosphere by pointing to the surface of Mars, less efficient for detection, but that will however better geographical coverage and offer the opportunity to probe the deeper layers of the atmosphere, the more close to the planet itself.
Landing on Mars and detect the electrical activity
as for the lander Schiaparelli, albeit under more technological, it was also equipped with a series of scientific instruments. Essentially, it should collect during its descent to Mars, then for two or three days of autonomy on the surface, environmental data such as air pressure, temperature, humidity, wind measurement and quantification of the airborne dust. But it also will clear through the unique French instrument called ExoMars 2016 MicroARES (Atmospheric Radiation Sensor and Electricity), a section of the unexplored Martian science. “For the first time, we will put a sensor on the surface that will tell us whether there is electrical activity on Mars. As there are storms on Earth, the gas giant or lightning on Venus, “says Franck Montmessin, chief scientist of MicroAres and also co-leader of the Russian ACS instrument on TGO.
What interest? In addition to support knowledge on the electrical activity of the bodies of the solar system, the presence of such phenomena on Mars may explain the elusive behavior of the methane. In fact, scientists believe that when many dust in the Martian atmosphere collide, they exchange electrons, which creates potential differences generates and ultimately potentially very powerful electric fields. “However, on this planet, such electric fields would be likely to produce extremely strong oxidants to destroy very quickly hydrocarbon species such as methane,” Franck Messin tip. “Dust storms, when getting up, play a role somehow cleaner of the atmosphere, able to multiply the destruction of methane by a factor of 100, 1000 or 10,000, depending on the intensity of the generated electric fields! “So the Schiaparelli lander should he bring, too, its contribution to the attempt to elucidate the mystery of Martian methane, in the heart of the scientific ambitions of this first installment of ExoMars.
March 14, 2016
– Launch of the TGO probe and its companion s! undercarriage Schiaparelli Baikonur
October 2016 .
-. Arrival in the vicinity of the red planet
October 19, 2016
– capsule Landing Schiaparelli on Mars, in the region of Meridiani Planum which has already asked the Opportunity robot at NASA in 2004. Dropped by TGO probe, three days before, he will make his descent in free fall before triggering one by one braking systems: heat shield, parachute and retro rockets. Once on the ground, the device will measure a few days until depletion of its battery.
– Orbiting the TGO probe around the red planet. This will be done in conventional manner, to the motors. At this point, the orbit of TGO be elliptical. As of that date and for about two months, teams will make first steps primarily to test and calibrate their instruments. After which it is planned to circularize the orbit of the probe without using fuel with a procedure called aerobraking (aerobreaking English). A first for a European probe! Clearly, whenever TGO will pass closer to Earth in the upper atmosphere of Mars, it will suffer little frictions that will make him lose speed, and hence the altitude at apogee (the point the highest of its orbit). Thus, in ten months, the orbit of TGO should move from an elliptical shape to a circular path, very economically. Ten months that science will have to wait.
Fall 2017
– Start of truly scientific part of the mission of TGO.
May 2018
– Launch of ExoMars 2018, that is to say, the first rover capable of drilling up two meters in the Martian soil, for arrival in January 2018. this part of the mission is not yet fully funded, this launch is very likely to be postponed until the next possible window for a trip to Mars, in 2020.
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