Schiaparellis focus is not only scientific but also on the technical exploration of a soft landing. Schiaparellis former project name was EDM – Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module. It shall explore the technology for the entry in the martian atmosphere and a “soft” landing with parachute und retrorockets. Such a successful “soft” landing is the precondition for Exo Mars 2018 – the landing of a European mars-rover and a research-platform on the surface of the red planet.
Schiaparelli is named after the Italian astronomer Giacomo Schiaparelli, who “discovered” the mars canali and fired in 1877 the first mars-enthusiasm in Europe.
After the first Mars-photos some people were really disappointed.
Here are videos of the “Behind ExoMars”-presentations:
Michael Khan (mission analyst ExoMars): “Orbital mechanics and the journey to Mars”
Daniil Rodionov, Manish Patel and Gabriele Cremonese explain Scientific instruments on TGO: ACS, FREND; NOMAD and CASSIS.
Olivier Bayle (System engineer) explains entry, descent and landing demonstrator module:
Rolf de Groot (Coordinator Robotoc Exploration) recapitulates the not-so-easy- development of MarsExpress – this story began 2001! And he explains the importance of technical exploration with this mission.
Was there life on Mars?
For me, as a biologist, ExoMars is the most exciting ESA-mission ever, because its main focus is exobiology!
So Jorge Vago’s presentation was the most fascinating lection of the day, he is ExoMars Project Scientist and coordinates the astrobiological exploration.
4,3 – 4,4 billion years ago, Mars was very different – it had liquid water at the surface and a denser atmosphere. 3,8 billion years ago Mars lost its atmosphere. Today it is a cold planet with a very thin atmosphere.
But: Mars is one of the best candidates for life in our solar system!
At earth, we have in cause of plate tectonic and degradation processes no rocks from the very beginning of evolution of life in a good state. But on Mars they are! Not at the surface, but perhaps in the depth.
And MarsExpress told us, that there is methane in the Martian atmosphere.
On earth, 90 % of methane is produced by life-forms. Where does the methane of Mars stems from?
Possible methane sources are volcanism, meteorite dust, comet impacts, methane clathrates, microbes and serpentinization. MarsExpress also told us, that in ancient times there was some water on Mars, because of the extended regions with clays.
Phoenix found a surprising molecule: Perchlorate. This is a very important information, because, when perchlorates are heated, they destroy bio-molecules.
And whenever samples on Mars were investigated, they were heated.
So it is possible, that the perchlorate destroyed bio-molecules, which were in the samples.
Even Curiosity took samples of Mars´ surface and heated them for further research.
So, the absence of biomolecules on Mars can be an anthropogen induced artefact.
ExoMars 2018 will land a rover and investigate the martian surface. And it will investigate the samples without heating! So this can lead to other results.
At second, ExoMars 2018-rover will drill much deeper than ever: It will drill up to 2 m depth. This is the first search for biosignatures in such a depth – so it will collect samples from below the degradation horizon.
For more information please watch and listen Jorges presentation:
After this thrilling presentation I asked him: “How probable it is, to find traces of fossil life on Mars? What do you estimate?” Jorge answered: “50%!”
Wow! That´s much more than I expected. “Why do you expect such a high probality for fossil life?”
In former times Mars had an atmosphere, he answered me. And at this time it could have been habitable. “When we assume, that the conditions for the evolution in our solar system have been similar, so it is not too improbable, that there were lifeforms on early Mars.”
But we have to drill deep!
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