Crushing station of the ExoMars rover
Date: 07 June 2011
Depicts: Preparing the carousel that simulates the crushing station of the ExoMars rover
Copyright: ESA - A.Pacros
The ExoMars dosing station, a part of the Sample Preparation and Distribution System (SPDS) which is designed to transport Martian soil samples collected by the drill to the instruments inside the ExoMars rover, was tested in conditions simulating Martian gravity during a parabolic flight campaign that ran from 7 to 9 June 2011.
In this photograph, taken during the experiment preparations, Anne Pacros, the ESA system engineer who participated in these tests, is loading the powder analogue Martian samples into the feeding carousel.
The experiment comprises a carousel system and the ExoMars dosing station prototype. The feeding system (top carousel), shown in the image, includes 30 sample carrier tubes and the bottom carousel includes 60 sample receiving tubes (with each tube carrying 5ml) so that two tubes could be used in each parabola; one for receiving the test sample and one for collecting the remaining powder from the dosing station cleaning process before the following parabola.
