19 Oct 2016
Launch: March 14, 2016
Arrival and landing: October 19, 2016
Mission Status: Active
On October 19, 2016, ExoMars 2016, the first of two European-led missions, will make it to Mars!
The European Space Agency's ExoMars 2016 is a two-part mission:
★ an eye in the Martian sky, known as the Trace Gas Orbiter, a satellite that will investigate the Martian environment; and
★ Schiaparelli, a probe that will land on Mars.
The story in pictures
Scroll through the images below to learn more about how Canada is involved in Europe's mission to Mars.
(A) Did life ever exist on the red planet?
The answer to that question is one of science's greatest mysteries.
(B) From the early astronomers who studied the reddish-hued star with their telescopes, to the more than 40 space probes sent to Mars, humans have relied upon robotic explorers to learn about Mars until we are able to travel there ourselves.
(C) On October 19, 2016, the first of two European-led missions will make it to Mars to search for clues to the tantalizing question: are we alone?
(D) The maple leaf on Mars: Canada is the only non-European participant in the European Space Agency mission.
The Trace Gas Orbiter carries Canadian technology—a communication antenna subsystem built by the Canadian company MDA. MDA won the contract to build the antenna. Their participation in the mission was made possible by a cooperation agreement between Canada and the European Space Agency.
(E) The Canadian Space Agency is also funding two Canadian scientists to take part in the mission.
Dr. Livio Tornabene (Western University) is a Canadian Co-Investigator on the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) imager onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). TGO's goal is to characterize and determine sources for trace gases, particularly methane, in the Martian atmosphere.
(F) With CSA funding, Dr. Ed Cloutis (University of Winnipeg) will investigate the composition of dust in the Martian atmosphere.
(G) The Mars environment chamber at the University of Winnipeg. This is where scientists expose minerals to Mars-like surface conditions to assess how and whether they change when exposed to Mars conditions. The results of these experiments allow researchers to better map the surface geology of Mars and identify past habitable environments.
(H) In 2020, a European Space Agency rover will land on Mars. It will roam the red planet with the help of a chassis and electronics built by MDA, and navigation cameras built by another Canadian company, the Neptec Design Group.
(I) Together, the ExoMars 2016 and 2020 missions will give us a better understanding of the Martian atmosphere, provide clues as to whether life ever arose on Mars, and help test technologies for a future Mars sample-return mission.