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ESA tests ExoMars orbiter's cameras and instruments
ExoMars might have lost the Schiaparelli lander, but the mission is far from being a failure: its Trace Gas Orbiter probe is working just fine. The probe spent two orbits, from November 20th to the 28th, making calibrations and testing out its instruments and its cameras. Since TGO's main purpose is to monitor rare gases on the red planet, its Atmospheric Chemistry Suite sniffed out carbon dioxide during the test run, while the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery instrument focused on finding water vapor. The ESA has confirmed that both of them are capable of doing their jobs.
The European Space Agency will land on Mars in October
Nearly 13 years after the British spacecraft Beagle 2 went missing on Mars, the European Space Agency's Schiaparelli module will touch down on the red planet -- assuming everything goes according to plan, that is. The module, which launched with the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in March, will serve primarily as a test bed for the descent and landing systems and is expected reach the surface on October 19th.
ExoMars is speeding toward the red planet
In 2013 the European and Russian folks behind ExoMars announced they'd launch a rocket to explore Mars this year and they're right on schedule. Lifting off from Kazakhstan this morning, the spacecraft now has a seven month journey to the Red Planet where the Schiaparelli module will test its entry, descent and landing tech that'll be used on future missions. Once on the surface it'll start doing environmental analysis and hopefully avoid a turf selfie war with our Curiosity rover. Its "short" surface mission involves measuring electrical fields that should give insight into what triggers Martian dust storms.
