Mars Express

Mars Express is the name of a space mission of the European space agency (ESA), which aims at the study of Mars.

It is the first mission of the ESA of placing in orbit of a Space probe on another planet which the Ground. This project made following the Probe Rosetta, whose Mars Express takes again the principal elements. It is itself at the origin of Venus Express, probe whose launching took place the November 9th 2005.

Objectives

Following the failure of the Russian mission March 96, the ESA decided to take again part of the objectives of the mission and thus constituted the Mars Express mission.

Its objectives are the search for traces of Eau and Vie last or present on the planet Mars, but also its cartography, the study of the composition of its surface and its atmosphere.

Presentation

Mars Express includes/understands:

Beagle 2

Mars Express To orbit

Mars Express Orbiter is the orbitor Martian. It is appeared as a central body in the shape of box of dimensions 1,5 m × 1,8 m × 1,4 Mr. On one of his faces is placed an antenna great profit and on two others, both solar panels, inherited the telecommunications satellites, of an entire surface of 11,42 m ².

Its weight on takeoff was of 1 120 kg. Half of its mass to launching is reserved for the fuel.

Concerning the propulsion, the voyage Ground Mars was ensured by the fourth stage of its launcher Soyuz, Fregat. The principal engine of the probe, being able to deliver a push of 400 newton S, was used to slow down Mars Express, to enable him to put into orbit themselves around Mars and to join its orbit of work. The corrections of trajectory during the phase of cruising are carried out by 8 auxiliary rockets, being able to deliver a push of 10 newtons. In the event of failure of the principal engine, the rockets could also be used by putting into orbit Mars Express, without him to make it possible to reach its orbit of work. It should be noted that the development of the auxiliary engines was carried out within the framework of the Mission Cluster.

The nominal duration of the mission was one year Martian, that is to say 687 days terrestrial, and it should thus end the November 30th 2005. The mission can however be prolonged one year Martian (until the October 31st 2007) additional, because a surplus of fuel was carried.

The prime contractor of Mars Express is the company EADS Astrium, with Toulouse. Launching was carried out by the Russo-European company of marketing of the launchers Soyuz, Starsem.

Scientific instruments

The scientific instruments, of a total mass of 116 kg, are the following:

Course of the mission

Launching took place the June 2nd 2003 with 17:45 UTC, by a launcher Soyuz equipped with an upper floor Fregat , since the Cosmodrome de Baïkonour with the Kazakhstan.

The December 19th 2003, the module Beagle 2 separates from the probe.

The December 25th 2003, the orbitor is put into orbit around Mars.

The December 30th 2003, the Orbite of the probe is modified, in accordance with the plan of mission, of an equatorial orbit to a quasi-polar orbit with a slope of 86°, and an altitude varying from 298 km to 10.107 km.

The January 14th 2004, the probe sends a stereotype color, 3D and high-resolution of Valles Marineris.

The January 23rd 2004, the probe confirms the existence of water in the form of ice to the south pole thanks to the instruments “Omega” and “Spicam”.

In March 2004, spectrometer FPS detects the presence of minor amounts of Méthane in the atmosphere. Presence of this Gas, which has one lifespan over 440 year old Mars if it is not renewed, is intrigante in more than one way. Because it can have only two origins, ic Volcan and Bactérie. The presence of life on red planet is thus perhaps a reality…

When designing SHARAD, a version improved of the Radar MARSIS which will be embarked on board Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), of data-processing simulations highlighted that the deployment of MARSIS could damage the probe too quickly while being spread. It was thus decided in April 2004 to defer the startup of MARSIS. After investigation, the deployment of the 3 antennas radar constituting MARSIS is done with more than one year of delay, the June 17th 2005. But after the failure of many Martian missions (March 96, Climate Mars To orbit, Mars Whodunnit Lander and Nozomi), the ESA did not want to take any risk with a mission which had done one quasi-without fault up to that point. The radar was put in function the June 19th and, after one period of tests, it should begin its first true scientific observations the July 4th.

The September 13rd 2005, a board of inquiry has been created to make the light on the cause of the faulty operation of spectrometer PFS for several months. Vibrations of the probe due to its activity were advanced to explain the cause of the faulty operation, without being able to determine the origin with precision of it.

The September 28th, the ESA announces the prolongation of the 687 days mission, which corresponds to one year Martian.

Reference

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