ExoMars – Page 4 – Spaceflight Now

ExoMars nears launch, thanks to nonstop work in factory

November 30, 2015 Stephen Clark

Working around the clock to meet a 12-day launch window in March, European engineers are putting the final touches on a Mars orbiter that could shed light on whether tiny microbes or geologic activity still linger on the barren planet.

ExoMars orbiter and lander on display

November 30, 2015 Stephen Clark

The European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli lander were recently presented to the media as they prepare for a tandem launch to the red planet in March.

Oxia Planum tops list of landing sites for ExoMars rover

October 22, 2015 Stephen Clark

Scientists have selected Oxia Planum, a shallow basin connected to dried up channels carved by ancient water flows, as the prime landing site for Europe’s first Mars rover set for launch in 2018.

ESA hopes to commit to 2018 Mars rover launch by December

September 29, 2015 Stephen Clark

With the flagship-class ExoMars program nearing the finish line after a decade in development, European Space Agency officials want to complete negotiations with the mission’s industrial teams before committing to a 2018 launch date for a European-built Mars rover.

Q&A with Rolf de Groot, head of ESA’s robotic exploration office

September 25, 2015 Stephen Clark

Spaceflight Now’s Stephen Clark spoke with Rolf de Groot, head of ESA’s robotic exploration coordination office, on Sept. 25, discussing the two-month launch delay of Europe’s ExoMars orbiter and landing demonstrator set to depart for Mars in 2016 and the status of an ambitious rover mission in 2018.

Launch of European Mars mission delayed two months

September 20, 2015 Stephen Clark

Officials expect to delay next year’s launch of a European Mars orbiter and lander about two months — from January to March — to remove faulty pressure transducers from the landing craft’s braking system, the European Space Agency announced Friday.

Candidate landing sites selected for ESA Mars rover

October 5, 2014 Stephen Clark

The European Space Agency has announced four candidate landing sites for the ExoMars rover, as a deadline looms to secure full funding for the mission in time for a scheduled launch to the red planet in 2018.