Amalia has so far demonstrated drilling soil samples down to 1.7 meters, drive through rough terrain and operate all the instruments while sending scientific data to the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC), the operational hub that will orchestrate the roaming of the European-built rover on Mars. The model is fully representative of what the rover will be able to do on the Red Planet.
Engineers are using the Amalia rover to recreate different scenarios and help them take decisions that will keep Rosalind safe in the challenging environment of Mars. Amalia was the first woman to graduate in aeronautical engineering in Italy, and she strongly pushed for the development of the ExoMars drill already 20 years ago. The test model borrows its name from renowned astrophysicist Professor Amalia Ercoli Finzi.
NEWS ROVER THUNDERNEWS SIMULATOR
Rosalind’s twin on Earth, known as Amalia, has successfully left the platform in a Mars terrain simulator at the ALTEC premises in Turin. Each wheel pair is suspended on a pivoted bogie so each wheel can be steered and driven independently. The team is dedicated and focused on setting out the next steps to ensure we bring this incredible rover to Mars to complete the job it was designed for."ĮSA's Rosalind Franklin the rover has six wheels and a unique way of moving across the Red Planet. "We count on brilliant teams and expertise across Europe and with international partners to reshape and rebuild the mission. "I hope that our Member States will decide that this is not the end of ExoMars, but rather a rebirth of the mission, perhaps serving as a trigger to develop more European autonomy," says David Parker, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA. The teams will be looking for the earliest possible launch depending on how quickly technologies can be developed to support a European-led mission, or in collaboration with other international partners, and the availability of compatible launchers and launch site. Credit: ESA/Mlabspaceīased on the decision by ESA Member States at its March Council meeting, a fast-track industrial study will now start to better define the available options for a way forward to implement the ExoMars rover mission in a future launch. This image shows a front view of the rover with the drill in a vertical position. The Review Board members specifically expressed their appreciation and thanks to the review team for the exhaustive work performed over the past months.Īrtist’s impression of the Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover. The Review Board confirmed that the spacecraft would have been ready for the timely shipment to the launch site and the program had a sufficient time margin for the original launch opportunity opening on 20 September 2022.ĭue to the suspension of the 2022 launch, the Exomars elements are now being prepared for storage at a Thales Alenia Space site in Italy awaiting further instruction.
It will be the first rover to drill 2 m below the surface, and the first to use novel driving techniques, including wheel-walking, to overcome obstacles.Īlthough the 2022 launch window for the mission is no longer possible following the suspension of cooperation with Roscosmos, the mission's System Qualification and Flight Acceptance Review took place as planned in March. The ESA-led Rosalind Franklin rover has a unique potential to search for evidence of past life on Mars thanks to its drill and laboratory.
0 kommentar(er)
