Mars Exploration News  
MARSDAILY
ExoMars rover twin begins Earth-based mission in 'Mars Terrain Simulator'
by Staff Writers
Turin, Italy (SPX) Jun 06, 2021

File image of the 'Ground Test Model'.

The replica ExoMars rover that will be used in the Rover Operations Control Centre to support mission training and operations is fully assembled and has completed its first drive around the Mars Terrain Simulator at ALTEC, in Turin, Italy.

The rover 'Ground Test Model' (GTM) will play a critical role in the coming months as rover operators prepare for Rosalind Franklin's arrival in Oxia Planum on Mars in June 2023.

The GTM already completed important commanding tests while stationary in the Thales Alenia Space cleanroom, and now it has been fully assembled in the Mars Terrain Simulator.

To best represent what the real Rosalind Franklin rover will experience on Mars, the GTM is supported by a device to recreate the martian gravity level. Mars gravity is about one-third of Earth's so two-thirds of the rover's 290 kg total mass is absorbed by the 'Rover Unloading Device' attached to the GTM from the ceiling of the test area.

Rover operators will rehearse numerous activities with the replica rover, from moving across different terrain to deploying its science instruments.

The first tests were simple driving activities: moving over different surfaces, tackling a side slope, small hill, and boulder-strewn terrain. On top of the hill, the rover was also commanded to take a panoramic image sequence.

The test paves the way for more advanced activities in the coming months. For example, while the first driving test was executed by following direct drive commands, upcoming is a trajectory control test: that is, the rover will automatically correct deviations induced by the topography and roughness of the terrain to stay within 20 cm of the commanded path. Later, more advanced autonomous driving functions will be tested whereby the rover will use onboard computing capabilities to assess the safety of the terrain on its own.

The GTM will also be used in the coming weeks for drilling activities. The ExoMars rover is unique in Mars exploration in that it will be first to drill 2 m below the martian surface to retrieve samples for analysis in its sophisticated onboard laboratory.

Underground samples are more likely to include biomarkers, since the tenuous martian atmosphere offers little protection from radiation and photochemistry at the surface. Understanding if life once existed on Mars is a key question in planetary science, and at the heart of the ExoMars programme.


Related Links
ExoMars at ESA
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


MARSDAILY
New ExoMars parachute ready for high altitude drop
Paris (ESA) May 21, 2021
A series of ground-based high-speed extraction tests confirm the readiness of a new and upgraded parachute and bag system for a high-altitude drop test in early June, part of critical preparations to keep the ExoMars 2022 mission on track for its next launch window. The tests, conducted with NASA/JPL's dynamic extraction test rig in California, USA, focused on demonstrating the readiness of new equipment developed by Airborne Systems, as well as verifying changes to the parachute and bag provided ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

MARSDAILY
Moon habitat blueprint at Venice Biennale

Dust: An Out-of-This World Problem

New Zealand signs Artemis Accords

How were the carbon contents in terrestrial and lunar mantles established

MARSDAILY
Manned space mission preps for takeoff

Tianzhou 2 docks with China's new station core module

Spacewalks planned for Shenzhou missions

China cargo craft docks with space station module

MARSDAILY
Asteroid 16 Psyche might not be what scientists expected

NASA's OSIRIS-REx celebrates perfect departure maneuver from Asteroid Bennu

Earth's meteorite impacts over past 500 million years tracked

The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission - Presenting Hera

MARSDAILY
First images of Ganymede as Juno sailed by

Leiden astronomers calculate genesis of Oort cloud in chronologically order

NASA's Juno to get a close look at Jupiter's Moon Ganymede

Jupiter antenna that came in from the cold

MARSDAILY
Glenn researchers study new, futuristic concept to explore Titan

Johns Hopkins Scientists Model Saturn's Interior

Ocean currents predicted on Enceladus

Hubble Sees Changing Seasons on Saturn

MARSDAILY
UP42 Expands Optical and SAR Data Offering with SI Imaging Services of Korea

NASA Collaboration Using Harvard Technology Could Advance Earth Science from Orbit

Local lockdowns brought fast global ozone reductions

Hyperspectral Infrared Radiance data improves local severe storm forecasts using Hybrid OSSE method

MARSDAILY
NASA's new $23 million space commode system is more than just a toilet

China accuses US of 'paranoid delusion' over huge innovation bill

TikToker in space: Virgin Galactic to send up well-known researcher

Amazon's Jeff Bezos to go to space on Blue Origin rocket

MARSDAILY
Liquid water on exomoons of free-floating planets

Scientists discover new exoplanet with an atmosphere ripe for study

Did heat from impacts on asteroids provide the ingredients for life on Earth?

Frozen rotifer reanimated after 24,000 years in the Arctic tundra









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.