Remembering the ExoMars Mission: A Pivotal Moment in Martian Exploration

A Milestone in European Space Exploration

On October 19, 2016, the global space community turned its eyes toward the Red Planet. The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with Russia’s Roscosmos, successfully executed the arrival of the ExoMars 2016 mission. This complex operation involved two distinct spacecraft: the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Schiaparelli entry, descent, and landing demonstrator module.

For space enthusiasts and scientists alike, this day remains a defining moment in the history of interplanetary exploration. It represented Europe's ambitious attempt to place a lander on the Martian surface while simultaneously deploying a sophisticated orbiter to study the planet's atmospheric composition.

The Trace Gas Orbiter: A Continuing Success Story

The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) was the primary success of the 2016 mission. Designed to sniff out trace gases in the Martian atmosphere—specifically methane—the orbiter has become a workhorse for scientific discovery. Methane is of particular interest to astrobiologists because, on Earth, it is primarily produced by biological processes.

Since its arrival, the TGO has:

• Mapped the distribution of water-ice in the Martian subsurface.
• Provided critical data for future landing site selection.
• Served as a vital telecommunications relay for rovers on the surface, including NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance.

The orbiter continues to orbit Mars today, providing a high-resolution window into the planet's evolving environment. Its longevity is a testament to the engineering prowess of the ESA and its international partners.

The Schiaparelli Lander: Lessons Learned from Failure

While the TGO mission was an unequivocal success, the Schiaparelli module faced a more challenging fate. Designed to test landing technologies for the subsequent Rosalind Franklin rover, the lander entered the Martian atmosphere at high speeds. Unfortunately, a sensor glitch caused the onboard computer to miscalculate the craft's altitude.

Believing it was already on or near the ground, the lander prematurely jettisoned its parachute and fired its braking thrusters for only a few seconds before shutting them down. As a result, Schiaparelli plummeted from a height of several kilometers, impacting the surface at high velocity.

Though the probe was destroyed upon impact, the mission was not considered a total failure by the engineering community. The data transmitted during the descent provided invaluable telemetry. Engineers gained critical insights into the harsh realities of Martian atmospheric entry, which directly influenced the design and safety protocols for later missions, including the upcoming Rosalind Franklin rover.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Mars Exploration

The legacy of the ExoMars 2016 mission is firmly cemented in the roadmap for future exploration. The lessons learned from the Schiaparelli crash underscore the extreme difficulty of landing on Mars—a feat often described as the 'seven minutes of terror.'

Today, the focus has shifted to the next generation of exploration. The European Space Agency is currently working toward the launch of the Rosalind Franklin rover, which aims to drill deep into the Martian soil to search for signs of past life. The Trace Gas Orbiter remains the backbone of this effort, providing the necessary orbital support to ensure that surface missions can communicate their findings back to Earth.

Why We Continue to Reach for Mars

Why does the arrival of an orbiter or the attempt to land a probe matter so much? The answer lies in our fundamental human drive to understand our origins and our place in the universe. Mars, with its history of liquid water and potential for past habitability, remains the most promising target in our solar system for finding evidence of extraterrestrial life.

As we look back at the events of October 19, 2016, we are reminded that space exploration is an iterative process. Every success builds the foundation for the next discovery, and every challenge provides the data necessary to overcome the obstacles of tomorrow. The ExoMars mission stands as a symbol of international cooperation and the relentless pursuit of knowledge in the face of immense technical challenges.