Inside ExoMars - Quarterly Newsletter
Issue 1 - October 2010
Welcome to the first ExoMars newsletter, an informal update on the ExoMars programme, complementing our online news service. Ten months into the approved ExoMars programme, activities are now running smoothly to reach the challenges of the launch dates. This newsletter rounds up the changes which have taken place so far this year, and highlights some cases of particular interest. From now on, it will provide information to the space community about progress in ExoMars on a quarterly basis.
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The 2nd ExoMars Industry Day, held on 23 September 2010 at the ALTEC facilities in Italy, was attended by 170 participants, representing 80 companies from 14 countries. |
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ESA and NASA have selected the scientific instruments for their first joint Mars mission. Scheduled for 2016, it will study the chemical makeup of the Martian atmosphere. |
ExoMars heads towards implementation phase
The ExoMars programme is progressing towards its scientific, programmatic and technological goals at Mars with the financial planning for the implementation phase (Phase C) being initiated. The industrial negotiations for the present phase of the programme (B2X2 – design phase) have been completed in early August.
The B2X2 Phase will lead to the System Preliminary Design Review (SPDR) at the end of this year. The SPDR is a technical monitoring process with the objective to review the system design, system plans and specifications. The Review output will establish a formal baseline to proceed to the implementation phase. Moreover, the technical documentation delivered for the Review will represent an initial technical baseline upon which the financial proposal for the continuation and completion of the programme (Phases C/D/E1) will be prepared and delivered in the first quarter of 2011.
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Demonstration of the ExoMars Rover prototype during the 2nd ExoMars Industry Day in Italy. |
One year of progress
One year after ESA and NASA have established a joint Mars exploration initiative, comprising two missions (due for launch in 2016 and 2018), the Orbiter Module design activities have been successfully proceeding to meet the launch for the 2016 mission. Following an enthusiastic response from the science community to the Announcement of Opportunity issued on 15 January, the scientific instruments accommodated by the ExoMars Orbiter have been selected by ESA and NASA.
The Entry Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) design activities are also underway with a firm objective to maintain the 600kg mass limit. An Announcement of Opportunity for the selection of the science package accomodated by the EDM is expected by the end of this year.
As for the second mission, the Rover Module development schedule is tuned to meet NASA planning for the 2018 launch. Some modifications of the Rover are necessary to incorporate the LMC and CLUPI instruments which have resulted in a significant mass growth risk (the current mass limit is 300kg). However, there are efforts to maintain the initial design investments and actions for mass reduction will be taken by the Rover vehicle contractor (Astrium-UK) to reduce the risk of mass growth.
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2016 Mission - Orbiter and Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module |
2018 Mission - Rover |
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| ESA – ExoMars Programme | Don McCoy |
RoboticExploration esa.int |
ExoMars Project Manager |