New Atlas

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Mystery of methane and water on Mars deepens with first-year results of Trace Gas Orbiter

Michael Irving April 10, 2019

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has made a map of the distribution of watery minerals in the Martian surface, studied how the global dust storm affected the atmosphere, and intriguingly found very little methane, which calls into question the results of a study just last week.

An illustration of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter analyzing the atmosphere of Mars

Space

ExoMars 2020 lander gets official moniker

David Szondy March 22, 2019

The landing craft that will deliver Europe's first rover to the planet Mars has arrived for assembly and testing in Turin, Italy, and has been officially named. A key component of the ExoMars 2020 mission, the Roscosmos landing platform has been christened "Kazachok" (Cossack).

The ExoMars 2020 lander, shown here being packed for shipment, has been officially named

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ESA has officially named its Mars rover

Anthony Wood February 7, 2019

A panel of experts has chosen Rosalind Franklin as the name for the European Space Agency’s (ESA)’s upcoming Mars rover. The vehicle is currently expected to begin exploring the Red Planet in 2021.

The rover will travel up to 100 meters (328 ft) per Martian day using advanced navigational ...

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ExoMars autonomous navigation software proves itself in Mars-like conditions

David Szondy January 17, 2019

One of the software packages that will guide the ESA ExoMars 2020 rover on the Red Planet has passed a major test at the space agency's Planetary Utilisation Testbed. The exercise by the half-scale ExoMars Testing Rover will help the actual rover autonomously navigate Martian hazards.

ExoMars Testing Rover (ExoTeR), seen maneuvering itself carefully through the red rocks and sand of the ...

Space

Preferred landing site for ExoMars 2020 rover mission revealed

David Szondy November 11, 2018

When the ExoMars 2020 mission touches down on the Red Planet, it will most likely be at Oxia Planum. This area near the Martian equator was recommended for the ESA-Roscosmos rover because it provides the best chances for finding signs of life balanced against the need for a safe landing zone.

Close up view of Oxia Planum, which has been selected as the preferred landing site for ...

Space

Prototype Mars rover starts tests ... a thousand miles from mission control

David Szondy October 28, 2018

A test prototype of ESA's ExoMars 2020 Mars rover got a workout last week in Spain’s Tabernas Desert – which is odd because mission control was a thousand miles away at the Harwell Space Cluster in Oxfordshire, England.

Artist's impression of the 2020 ExoMars Rover

Space

Orbiter data confirms manned Mars missions face severe radiation hazards

David Szondy September 19, 2018

Data returned by the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter indicates that astronauts on even short future Mars missions could face significant space radiation hazards and would be exposed to at least 60 percent of their total lifetime career radiation exposure limit.

Artist's concept of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Space

Competition to name ExoMars rover kicks off

David Szondy July 20, 2018

Even though ESA's ExoMars 2020 rover is due to launch in only two years, the robotic explorer is still lacking a name. To remedy this, astronaut Tim Peake announced today at the Farnborough International Airshow that the UK Space Agency is starting a public competition to find a suitable moniker.

What's in a name? Artist's concept of the ExoMars 2020 rover

Space

ExoMars orbiter on the brink of commencing its scientific mission

Anthony Wood April 9, 2018

The ESA/Roscosmos Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is mere weeks away from commencing its atmospheric search for evidence of recent geological activity, and possibly life on everyone’s favorite Red Planet.

Artist's impression of the Trace Gas Orbiter around Mars

Space

European Mars orbiter completes 11-month aerobraking maneuver

David Szondy February 25, 2018

It has to be one of the slowest parking attempts ever made, but ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has completed a daring maneuver that saw it surfing the outer layers of the Martian atmosphere for 11 months.

The TGO releasing the Schiaparelli lander prior to arriving in Mars orbit