Exomars

The ExoMars spacecraft by the Thales Alenia Space joint venture (JV) has completed its in-orbit commissioning review (IOCR).

A joint mission of European Space Agency (ESA) and Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), ExoMars expects to search for biosignatures of Martian life.

The mission expects to employ several spacecraft elements, which will be sent to Mars in two separate launches.

In March, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and a test stationary lander called Schiaparelli were launched as part of the ExoMars mission.

A JV between Thales and Finmeccanica and prime contractor for the ESA, Thales Alenia Space noted that it has analysed the results of the launch and early orbit phase (LEOP) and commissioning operations, confirming the full functionality of the spacecraft’s two constituent modules, including Entry and Descent Module (EDM) and TGO.

"The spacecraft is in excellent shape."

The electrical parameters such as voltage and current were also remained steady in relation to the results of tests on Earth.

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Thales Alenia Space Exomars programme director Walter Cugno said: "We are delighted to confirm that the spacecraft is in excellent shape, everything being proceeding on schedule and to ensure that Thales Alenia Space’s team of technicians and engineers is hard at work preparing for the spacecraft’s rendezvous with Mars on 19 October."

The company recently signed a record of agreement with ESA for the second mission of ExoMars programme, Rover and Surface Platform Mission, which is expected to take place at the end of 2020.

The ExoMars mission expects to perform check-out of its second TGO payload and EDM by mid June, with commissioning of the main TGO engine by performing a slight powered manoeuvre scheduled in the beginning of July.

By October, EDM will be separated from the orbiter and the TGO will enter into Martian orbit. After separation, the EDM is also expected to land on Mars simultaneously.

Image: Thales Alenia Space had built the ExoMars spacecraft. Photo: courtesy of Thales Group.