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Analogue Martian samples

Analogue Martian samples


Date: 30 May 2011
Depicts: The tests were carried out using analogue Martian samples
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.

The tests were carried out using representative types of rock, similar to those one could find on Mars, such as lava and sandstone. A special mixture very similar to the red dust on Mars, called salten skov, was also prepared for the occasion.

This photograph shows an assorted selection of analogue Martian samples, which were crushed into fine powders before being loaded into the experiment. Prior to flight, the samples were dried in an oven at the Novespace laboratory in Bordeaux, France.

Last Update: 1 September 2019
28-Mar-2024 11:36 UT

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