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Timeline for ExoMars 2016

Timeline for ExoMars 2016

This timeline outlines some of the main events for the ExoMars 2016 mission.

ExoMars 2016 Timeline

Launch [1] 14 March 2016 at 09:31 UTC
Testing NASA radio transponder April 2016
Commissioning of Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) instruments during Near-Earth Checkout April 2016
Commissioning of Schiaparelli instruments during Near-Earth Checkout April 2016
Checkout of TGO instruments during Mid-Cruise Checkout [2] 12-16 June
Checkout of DREAMS and DECA during Mid-Cruise Checkout [3] 15-17 June
Cruise phase Up until end June
Deep space trajectory manoeuvres
Largest engine burn [4, 5]
Mid July – mid August 2016
28 July
Navigation measurements (delta-DOR) September – October 2016
Start of 24/7 ground station contact with TGO 9 October 2016
Schiaparelli – TGO separation [6, 7] 16 October 2016 at 14:42 UTC*
TGO performed Mars avoidance manoeuvre [8] 17 October 2016 at 02:42 UTC*
TGO insertion into Mars orbit [9] 19 October 2016, scheduled for 13:04 UTC*
Schiaparelli planned landing on Mars [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] 19 October 2016
Schiaparelli science operations to begin Were planned to start on 19 October 2016
TGO first science opportunity (Mars Capture Orbit #1) [16] [17] [18] November 2016

TGO changes inclination to science orbit (74°) [19]

January 2017
Apocentre reduction manoeuvres
(from the initial 4-sol orbit to a 1-sol orbit)
January 2017
TGO second science opportunity (Mars Capture Orbit #2) [20] [21] March 2017 – March 2018
Aerobraking phase (TGO lowers its altitude to 400 km circular orbit) [22] [23] March 2017 – March 2018
Superior solar conjunction
(critical operations are paused while the Sun is between Earth and Mars)
11 July - 11 August 2017
TGO starts science operations April 2018
TGO starts data relay operations to support NASA landers on Mars April 2018

* Time on spacecraft. Between 16 and 20 October the one-way light travel time is between 9.5 and 10 minutes.
** A sol is one martian day, equivalent to 24 hours and 37 minutes.

Last Update: 18 March 2020
19-Mar-2024 03:32 UT

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https://sci.esa.int/s/8OpdEGA

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