Mars Travel: ESA

Showing posts with label ESA. Show all posts

ESA's New ESTRACK Antenna Receives a Photo of Mars

Take a look at this image of Mars beamed back from the European Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter to Europe's newest deep-space ESTRACK tracking station in Malargüe, Argentina. Mars Express used its Visual Monitoring Camera to take this image of Mars from 9,761 km (5065 mi) away.

It took the signal 18 minutes to cross the 327M km (203M mi) expanse of space between the Mars Express Orbiter and the new space tracking station in Argentina.

Because of the angle of the orbiter, Mars appears to be lying on its side, daylight side down. On the dayside of this photo you can see three, possibly four large volcano domes, as well as numerous large canyons.

The new European deep-tracking station makes the ESA only the second space agency (after NASA's Deep Space Network) to have coverage of the whole sky for deep space missions. The other two large 35m Deep Space Antennas in the ESA's Estrack system are located in New Norcia, Australia, and Cebreros, Spain. However, they have multiple tracking stations throughout the world, depicted below:

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Mars Photo of the Day - 29 Aug 2012

Today's Image of Mars is a perspective view of Sigli and Shambe craters in Ladon Valles, taken by Mars Express' High Resolution Stereo Camera. Scientists believe these two connected craters, called a doublet crater, were formed by the same projectile, which broke apart just before impact. Sometime following the impacts the craters were partially filled with sediments

The ejecta pattern indicates the presence of subsurface ice at the time the impact occurred. The heat from the impact melted the subsurface ice, and the ice that didn't sublimate was thrown out with the rock ejecta.

The fractures you see in the two craters were most likely created by sedimentary compaction and the subsequent dry spell that has been gripping Mars for the last couple billion years.

Clicking on this image will take you to the original high resolution image. [See the ESA's associated article]

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MSL Curiosity - The First Week

When Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity begins its entry, descent and landing (EDL) it will go through 7 minutes of terror, as the largest payload ever to touch down on Mars slows from over 21,000 to 3.6km/hr as it maneuvers to the surface. If all goes to plan we will get confirmation of MSL touchdown at 0131:37EDT (0531:37UT) in Gale Crater near the base of Mount Sharp, thus beginning the most heavily anticipated Mars mission since Mariner 4 first imaged the Red Planet in July 1965.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express will be in position to image MSL during the different stages of EDL. It will begin monitoring MSL 45 minutes prior to it entering the Martian atmosphere and continue to do so after touchdown. The ESA will be working extensively with NASA throughout MSL's mission. [Details of ESA-NASA cooperation]

Click for larger image with stages of MSL's Entry, Descent & Landing
Credit: ESA/Mars Express

Upon landing MSL will remain in position for approximately 5 days, during which time mission control will ensure the ground right below the rover is safe to drive on. They will also use this time to deploy the high gain antenna, mast and sampling system, while ensuring that everything else deployed properly and is in working order. To get an idea of what MSL is carrying, click the image to your right.

Following the initial system checks MSL will make its first drive through uncharted Martian terrain and begin work to determine if the conditions on Mars were or still are favorable to life.

As many scientists have proclaimed. The most exciting aspect of MSL's mission is that we really don't know what we'll find in Gale Crater! One thing is for sure; MSL's journey will be new, informative, and exciting, as exploration of the unknown always is!

So what exactly is MSL looking for on Mars?

Mars Photo of the Day - Jan 24 2012

Today's Image of Mars is from the European Space Agency's Rosetta's flyby of Mars in 2007. This image was one of many Rosetta images of Mars recently released by the ESA. This spectacular image shows Phobos transiting Mars and the shadow left on the Martian surface by its largest moon, but that isn't all. We can also see Gale Crater, which is the August 2012 landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity. This image also shows Gusev Crater, which was studied by Mars Exploration Rover Spirit and found to have numerous dust devils.

The ESA's Rosetta spacecraft was launched on Mar 2 2004 on a mission to study the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. In 2007 it did a flyby of Mars, which is when it took numerous images of Mars and its largest moon, Phobos.

Labels for this image come from The Planetary Society. Clicking on the image will take you to the high resolution version. [See the Planetary Society's article on the newly released Rosetta images]

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Mars Photo of the Day - Jan 2 2012

Today's Image of Mars shows part of the boundary between Melas Chasma (on the left) and the surrounding terrain. Melas Chasma is part of the Valles Marineris rift valley, which spans more than 4000km across the surface of Mars.

Melas Chasma sinks 9km below the surface of the surrounding terrain, giving it the distinction of being one of the lowest depressions on Mars. This image only covers 20,000 sq km, which the ESA mentions is about the size of Slovenia.

This image helps scientists see different layered deposits along the boundary wall, which gives them insight into the conditions on Mars in the distant past when the deposits were made. This is most helpful for the area surrounding Melas Chasma because there is abundant evidence that the Valles Marineris region was once had an abundance of flowing water, as evidenced by water cut channels and lighter-colored sulfates likely deposited by a former lake.

This image was taken by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on July 1 2006. Clicking on the image will take you to the hi-res version from the ESA. [See the original article from the ESA on Melas Chasma]

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Mars Photo of the Day - Dec 13 2011

Today's Image of Mars is of Hebes Chasma, an enclosed trough located in the most northern part of Valles Marineris that measures nearly 8000m deep. In the center of Hebes Chasma is an 8000m high mesa (flat topped mountain) with many layered deposits. It almost rises to the same height as the terrain surrounding Hebes Chasma.

Measurements from the OMEGA spectrometer on Mars Express have shown water bearing minerals, like gypsum, in Hebes Chasma, evidence that there was once an abundance of water in the trough.

It is thought that Hebes Chasma formed because of enormous stress in the Martian crust, which resulted in a number of radial faults. This stress was likely caused by crustal uplift from the development of many volcanoes in the nearby Tharsis region.

You really need to click on this image so you can see the high resolution image from the ESA. [See their article on this image and others like it]

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Mars Photo of the Day - Dec 5 2011

Today's Image of the Day is of an unnamed crater on Mars with water ice in it. The crater is located in Vastitas Borealis, a broad plain which covers much of Mars' northern latitudes.

This crater is 35km in diameter and approximately 2km deep. The ice in this crater is present all year round because the temperatures at such high latitudes never get above freezing. The ice cannot be carbon dioxide ice because at the time this photo was taken all carbon dioxide ice had previously sublimated.

This image was taken by ESA's Mars Express' High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). Clicking on this image will take you to the original high definition image. I highly recommend you check it out!

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ESA Ceases Attempts to Communicate with Phobos-Grunt

Quick update for all of those that don't follow @MarsTravel on Twitter:

The European Space Agency (ESA) has stopped attempting to communicate with Phobos-Grunt via their ground stations. This comes after consultation with the Phobos-Grunt mission controllers. The ESA emphasizes that it remains available to assist Roscosmos with Phobos-Grunt if the situation changes.

Since a brief link-up with Phobos-Grunt a week and a half ago there has been no communication with Phobos-Grunt despite numerous attempts by Roscosmos and the ESA. NASA has also been offering technical and communications assistance to no avail.

For the latest information I highly recommend that you follow @MarsTravel on Twitter because I will post information there first and more frequently. An easy follow button has been place below for your convenience.

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Contact Made with Phobos-Grunt - Mission May Proceed

ESA Tracking station in Perth, Australia
Image Credit: ESA

On Tuesday (Nov 22 2011) at 20:25 UT a tracking station based in Perth, Australia made contact with Phobos-Grunt. This was the first signal received on Earth from the spacecraft since it launched on November 8 2011. [Phobos-Grunt, Yinghuo-1, and LIFE Remain in Earth's Orbit]

Teams from the European Space Agency (ESA) that made the original contact are in discussions with Russian engineers to determine the best method for maintaining contact with Phobos-Grunt. According to Ria Novosti five attempts will be made to get telemetry from the spacecraft on Thursday. Each attempt will last for approximately 6-7 minutes.

If contact is made could the mission continue as planned?

While Ria Novosti and others report that the window to continue the mission passed on November 21 2011, some people like Dr. David Warmflash, lead investigator for the LIFE experiment on board the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, says the mission could go on if Phobos-Grunt leaves Earth's orbit anytime well into December.

Why is this?

Current missions to Mars must fall within a specified launch window when travel between Earth and Mars is most optimal. Launch windows are calculated by determining a spacecrafts propulsion capabilities and the alignment of the concerned celestial bodies. Launch windows to get from Earth to Mars (or Mars to Earth) are around once every 26 months.

Phobos-Grunt could still make it to Mars within this launch window, but the issue is that by the time it collected samples from Phobos it would have missed the launch window for the trip back to Earth. That means that samples could not be returned until 2016, 26 months later than planned.

The two ride-along missions would still be fulfilled.

Yinghuo-1 would be China's first foray to Mars. It would separate from the larger Russian probe in October 2012 (or maybe later now) and begin a year-long orbit of Mars. Its primary purpose is to collect data about the Martian atmosphere. On board it has a plasma package, a fluxgate magnetometer, a radio occultation sounder, and an optical imaging system. It also has two solar arrays to collect energy.

The Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (LIFE), created by the Planetary Society is an astrobiological experiment containing ten types of organisms. It is an international venture, with cooperation from the Russian Space Research Institute, the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Moscow State University, the American Type Culture Collection, and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Germany. The mission is to see what types of organisms can survive the harsh conditions of space travel. Please see the LIFE page for more information on their missions.

The two ride along missions would essentially be unaffected by an extended stay on Mars. Yinghuo-1 is only set to remain in orbit for a year regardless and the purpose of the LIFE is to determine whether life can survive the harsh conditions of deep space for an extended period of time, so prolonging the time would likely only help to the experiment.

It remains to be seen whether commands can be sent to Phobos-Grunt, but for now there is renewed hope that the mission can go on.

For the latest information on the Phobos-Grunt mission I highly recommend following Dr. David Warmflash, (@CosmicEvolution) on Twitter.

Mars Photo of the Day - Nov 16 2011

Today's Image of Mars is of Coprates Cantena, located in the Southern part of the Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars. Coprates Cantena is a chain of collapsed structures running parallel to the main valley, Coprates Chasma. It is not as deep as the main canyon, but you can still see layered deposits on the walls of the pits.

This image was taken on May 25 2004 by Mars Express Orbiter. Clicking on the image will take you to the original, full-screen, high resolution image from the ESA.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Nov 12 2011

Today's Image of Mars is of Nili Fossae in perspective, as taken by Mars Express Orbiter on Feb 8 2008. Nili Fossae is a graben system on Mars. 'Graben' is the term used to identify the lowered terrain in the area between two parallel faults or fractures. The area collapses when tectonic forces pull the area apart.

Nili Fossae contains many grabens and is located "northeast of the Syrtis Major volcanic province, on the northwestern edge of the giant Isidis impact basin." (ESA) Some of the fractures and faults in the Martian crust extend up to 500 meters deep.

One of the intriguing things about Nili Fossae lies above the surface. Earth-based telescopes have detected that the atmosphere around Nili Fossae contains an increased amount of methane. This leads scientists to believe that methane may be produced in the area, a theory which the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will attempt to verify if/when it launches. The orbiter is currently expected to launch in 2016, but has suffered numerous setbacks, some of which I detailed in the October article, Russia Looks Set to Become Partner in ExoMars Mission.

Clicking on this image will take you to the full page high resolution image taken by Mars Express' High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC)

Credits: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

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Mars500 - Bringing a Manned Mission to Mars One Step Closer

How would astronauts cope with the prolonged isolation associated with a manned mission to Mars? This was one of the many questions Mars500 sought to answer when they embarked on their simulated mission to Mars on June 3 2010, around 17 months ago. Now, on November 4 2011, after 520 days of isolation, the six man crew of Mars500 will open their hatch to the eagerly awaiting public.

These brave men have made history and helped increase our knowledge of the human psyche and our ability to cope with long missions to extraterrestrial bodies.

The spacecraft's crew is led by 38 year old engineer Alexei Sitev, and also includes Russian surgeon Sukhrob Kamolov, 32, and Russian general practitioner Alexander Smolevsky, 33. Non-Russian crew members include Italian Diego Urbina, 27, China's Wang Yue, 27, and the Roman Charles from France, 31.
More information about the Mars500 crew

And so what did they find?

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Mars Photo of the Day - Nov 1 2011

Today's Image of Mars is a perspective view of Solis Planum, looking southeast, as taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) aboard the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft on May 23 2004. In this photo you can see part of a heavily eroded crater, which has a diameter of 53km and a rim that is around 800m high.

Solis Planum is located in the mountainous Thaumasia region of Mars, just southwest of Valles Marineris.

I highly recommend clicking on this image so you can see the it full screen and zoom in. It truly is remarkable!

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Russia Looks Set to Become Partner in ExoMars Mission

On October 13 2011 the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that it has officially invited Russia to become a full partner in the joint Euro-US ExoMars mission. The mission, which planned to launch an orbiter in 2016 and the rover in 2018, has suffered numerous setbacks primarily due to funding issues.

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Conceptualization
Credit: ESA

The decision to invite Russia comes after budget issues forced NASA to downgrade its participation and cut their contribution of a second Atlas V rocket needed for the whole mission to launch. With only one rocket the mission would have to be cut in half and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter would be forsaken in favor of the rover. The planned orbiter intended to use equipment provided almost entirely by NASA to detect trace gases in the Martian atmosphere, but has since been forced to look for alternative providers.

And what other country has the funds, hardware, and interest to support a mission to Mars?

Russia does, so the ESA has turned to Russia, hoping that they will contribute a Proton rocket, equipment, and additional funding to the mission, in return for making them a full partner in the ExoMars project. This would enable them to conduct their own scientific experiments with the rover and orbiter while giving them a say in all aspects of the mission. ESA Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain emphasized that “This could end up being an even grander mission than it would have with a full Russian participation, It’s not simply a matter of asking the Russians, ‘Please provide us a launcher.’” The added participation of Russia would ensure adequate funding and even allow for the mission to be expanded.

Early reports suggest that Russia will accept the ESA's proposal. Oleg Korablyov, deputy chief of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences was quoted by Ria Novosti as saying that "from the scientific point of view such [a] mission would be of great interest to us, it would boost our own Mars research," while claiming that "it would be a bargain and a tangible step towards Mars Net," a Russian plan to to create a network of meteorological stations on Mars.

Russia has a long history of failure when it comes to Mars. Two Russian landers have made it to the surface, only to cease communication upon touch down. The Mars 2 and Mars 3 Orbiter's sent in late 1971 were the only real successes and they were terminated in August of 1972. The last Russian attempt at a mission to Mars was Mars 96 in 1996, but it suffered a launch failure.

Russia does have a mission to the Martian moon Phobos scheduled to launch in November of 2011. This ambitious mission, dubbed Phobos-Grunt, will be an orbiter, lander, and sample return mission of the Martian moon. However the 2018 ExoMars lander mission would be their first attempt at reaching The Red Planet's surface since 1996.

We won't know for sure until Russia makes an official announcement, but all indications point to them becoming full partners in the ExoMars mission. As more information emerges it will be posted here!

Mars Photo of the Day - Sept 26 2011

Today's Mars Photo is of Hecates Tholus Volcano as taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express in 2004. See the photo in 3D.

This image below will take you to the larger hi-resolution image from the ESA.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Sept 25 2011

Today's Mars Photo is of Galle Crater, which is a 230 km crater resembling the classic smiley face. This image was taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). This happy face crater was first discovered by the Viking I Orbiter mission.

This image will link to the original one on ESA servers, which is much higher-resolution.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Sept 9 2011

'Today's Mars Photo is of Holden and Eberswalde Crater as taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express Orbiter. Holden crater is on the left and measures 140 km across, whereas Eberswalde Crater, on the right, measures 65 km in diameter. The rim of Eberswalde Crater is only intact on the right side because it was covered by the ejecta from the impact that created Holden Crater.

Mars Express recently found evidence that indicates a huge lake once existed in Eberwalde Crater. This photo gives some perspective as to the crater's surroundings. Click the image to see it enlarged and in high resolution.

Taken by Mars Express on August 15 2009.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Sept 5 2011

Today's Mars Photo was taken by the European Science Agency (ESA)'s Mars Express. This photo of Mars is evidence that a massive lake once existed within Eberswalde Crater, which measures 65 km in diameter.

The delta is thought to have formed 3.7 billion years ago during the Hesperian Epoch, when an asteroid struck the Martian surface. Prior to this discovery it was thought that Mars was a barren, frozen planet, during the Hesperian Epoch, but the existence of this lake proves that there was liquid water present on the planet.

To see the enlarged photo click on the image. See a related, more in-depth article at The Daily Galaxy

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Instigating a New Space Race

Is a new space race beginning?

With the head of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jean-Jacques Dordain, pledging to work together with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) to send the first manned mission to Mars, one must wonder if the next space race has been initiated. [Europe and Russia Pledge to Send Man to Mars]

NASA recently cancelled their planned Constellation program, which would have attempted to put a permanent base on the moon in the 2020s in order to eventually use it as a launching platform for deep space missions. Instead they have made it their goal to put man on an asteroid by 2025 and a man on Mars by 2035.

Will actually beginning preparation for a joint European-Russian mission to Mars push up the priority of a similar mission in the United States? Will there be a competition between nations to get to Mars first?

ESA chief Dordain seems to have chosen the opportune time to announce this joint mission, as NASA's shuttle program just reached completion. The speculation is abound that this announcement will spark a new space race, with NASA on one end and the ESA and RKA on the other.

The benefits of sending the first men to Mars are immeasurable, as the organization to do so would be given great prestige throughout the scientific community. They would also be able to perform tests that rovers are unable to. The first organizations to accomplish sending men to Mars would also have a head start on all future Martian development.

The next few months may see the start of a new space race, as the ESA and RKA's joint plans mature more and a timeline is created. If they develop a reasonable plan of action it may drive NASA to push their program up in order to get to Mars first. For now this is all just hope and speculation, but we have nothing without hope.

I think the biggest question is the how big a role corporations like SpaceX will play in the upcoming space race and future Mars travel and development.

Europe and Russia Pledge to Send Man to Mars

On Aug 17 2011 the head of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jean-Jacques Dordain, announced that they would partner with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA) to "carry out the first flight to Mars together." The head of the RKA, Vladimir Popovkin welcomed the pledge.

This commitment comes as the Euro-Russian Mars500 experiment comes to completion in November. Dordain does not set a time frame, but says that the Mars500 experiment has been a factor in the decision for the ESA and RKA's pledge to send a manned mission to Mars.

The Mars500 program was initiated on June 03 2010 by the Moscow Institute of Medical and Biological Problems in order to simulate a mission to Mars. The experiment simulates a 250 day journey to Mars, a 30 day stay on The Red Planet, and a 240 day return flight. Mars500 simulates emergency situations that a manned mission to Mars might encounter and attempts to accurately determine how well humans can cope with a trip to and from Mars.

The Crew of Mars500 in their mock spacecraft Source: ESA

Dordain's commitment to Mars travel is something to be expected, as the United States' NASA has set a goal of setting a man on Mars by the mid 2030s. The competition that this new announcement might bring could help increase the priority of a manned mission to Mars and push up the date. It would bring great prestige to the nation that could land the first man on Mars, much like the moon landing helped to solidify NASA's leadership in space.

A time frame for a joint Euro-Russian mission to Mars has yet to be set by the ESA or RKA, but as Mars500 culminates there will likely be an announcement on the matter. Igor Lisov, an analyst for the Moscow-based journal Novosti Kosmonavtike (Cosmonautic News) gave his own estimation of the time frame to the Voice of Russia saying "If they decide to implement an emergency program, the mission may be carried out in 10 years. If it is an ordinary one, then it will take 20 years. This is a long period of time." While this is not an official statement from either agency, it provides hope for those hoping to see a man on Mars in their lifetime.

Cooperation between the two space agencies when it comes to Mars is not unprecedented. Both agencies, as well as NASA, have worked together since 2006 to develop EkzoMars (ExoMars), a Mars rover that will be launched from a Russian Proton Rocket in 2013 and supplied with both Russian and European equipment.

ExoMars Rover

It is firmly believed in Russian and Europe that future success with Mars travel and exploration will be made by working together. There are sure to be some exciting developments and/or announcements in the coming months as the Mars500 simulation comes to an end!