«Oil of Russia», 15.03.16, Moscow, 18:50 The Verge, the US
Lauren Grash (Loren Grush)
on Monday, the Russian carrier rocket “Proton” was successfully launched with two robotic spacecraft that marked the beginning of seven-month flight to Mars. This is the first stage of the mission “exomars”, which became the result of partnership between the European Space Agency and the Russian Federal Space Agency “Roskosmos”. The purpose of cooperation – to deliver on the Mars probes and research to determine whether there exists (or existed ever) alien life. The launch was made at 12 o’clock 31 minutes Moscow time
The “exomars” provides two flights to the Red Planet:. Today’s launch and the second, scheduled for 2018. Launched on Monday, the rocket “Proton” is on board the orbital module Trace Gas Orbiter, which will analyze the composition of the planet’s atmosphere, and the lander, got its name after the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli. Both of them will be delivered to Mars in October this year, according to the European Space Agency. Arriving in orbit, Trace Gas Orbiter module will start to apply on it, making the measurement of gases in the atmosphere. Specifically, the orbiter will search for traces of methane, indicating that biological life may or may exist on the surface of the planet
The problem lander Schiaparelli -. To land on the Martian surface. Planting must show that ESA and Roscosmos have the necessary equipment and technology for a soft landing vehicles on the Martian surface. It’s kind of a trial test before starting the next “exomars” spacecraft with the rover, which will take place in 2018. The rover is designed to study the planet, and the collection of soil samples in the search for biological life. If the machine will land successfully Schiaparelli, it is certainly able to do and the next unit with the rover.
The researchers hope that if the mission “exomars” will be able to find the signs or traces of life, it will become a serious impetus for inspiring the next flight to the Red planet, in which samples will be returned to Earth. Remote study Martian soil samples is difficult, because the entire analysis should fully carry out the spacecraft, and the data is very difficult to transmit over long distances. But if the samples are delivered safely to Earth, experts in terrestrial laboratory will be able to study them a lot more detail. “This is a logical next step – from ESA Hakan Svedhem (Hakan Svedhem) said” exomars “program researcher. – If we find life on Mars, you will definitely want to see what kind of life »
Solving the riddle of methane
The orbital module Trace Gas Orbiter will search for the best in the Martian atmosphere. various gases, but most scientists are interested in methane, says Svedhem. ESA notes that 90% of the methane in the atmosphere is the result of decomposition of biomass. The presence of gas in the Martian atmosphere could be an indication that there has been or there is also life.
On the methane on Mars say for decades. NASA’s Curiosity rover and Mars Express ESA satellite discovered traces of this gas in the Martian atmosphere, and ground-based telescopes have recorded the presence of methane on Mars in 2003, as reported by NASA. This is an intriguing discovery, since the gas is present on Mars only in strictly defined areas, as evidenced by planetary scientist Nick Schneider (Nick Schneider), working on NASA’s MAVEN program. “If you see it in one place, it is a sure sign that you can find there something interesting – emphasizes Schneider. – Maybe it was a colony of life, surviving only in a certain region »
But the discovery of methane proved temporary: in 2003, seen through a telescope gas by 2006, almost completely disappeared.. A Curiosity recorded four big jump in methane concentration at the end of 2013, but again its content is not measured. This is strange, since methane has a life expectancy of 300 to 600 years. That’s how much time it takes the sun to split its molecules. Scientists do not know why the measurement of methane is conducted in such a way, and for that reason, some researchers have even questioned in his presence on Mars. For example, one expert believes that the rover Curiosity can detect leaks of methane own, not Martian gas.
Trace Gas Orbiter is designed to give answers to these questions. Says Schneider: “This device is capable of making such measurements, which no one will argue.” orbiter instruments will observe the atmosphere against the sun, by analyzing how light changes the transparency of gas. This will show the composition of the Martian atmosphere, said Svedhem. According to him, the machine tools are so sensitive that they can determine whether the biological methane source. “This is the most subtle of all devices sent to Mars”, – says Svedhem
But it will take time before we find out what gases found Trace Gas Orbiter.. When the spacecraft flies to Mars, it will be a year to slow down and needed to go to the desired height for orbital flight. This process, known as aerodynamic drag. The probe will proceed to the study of the atmosphere, reaching the target orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers above Mars. This will happen around December 2017.
The study surface
The lander Schiaparelli begin work immediately on arrival to Mars in October this year. First, it is separated from the module Trace Gas Orbiter, and three days later will begin to decline to perform landing on Mars. At the stage of the initial decline and passing of the Martian atmosphere the spacecraft will protect the heat shield, and at an altitude of 11 kilometers will be opened parachutes. Then, the heat shield and parachutes will be reset, and will start to work the tiny thrusters on the bottom of the unit. Thanks to them, the lander will hang at a height of two meters above the surface, after which the engines are switched off, and it falls to Mars.
This is a very complex process, since it is necessary to repay a rate of 21 thousand kilometers per hour. The pressure in the atmosphere of Mars 100 times lower than the ground, and therefore there is less air, creating friction and retarding the falling object. Therefore, you need two parachute and thrusters, that Schiaparelli machine crashed on the surface of the speed. Such methods will be used and in the future landing rover “exomars” in 2019, which is much larger. Lander Schiaparelli weighs about 600 kilograms, and the rover together with all support systems and landing will weigh almost 1800 kg.
After landing at the landing module Schiaparelli is a bit of work. He does not have solar panels for recharging, and its own battery will last only 2-5 days. But this device is equipped with several devices that will monitor the weather and the ambient atmosphere during his brief mission. All instruments to search for life will be installed in the next unit. The robot will drill capable of taking soil samples to a depth of two meters, as well as nine instruments on board that will analyze the samples for signs of life.
If “exomars” find biological traces that still It may not be enough to say with all certainty: “Life on Mars”. “If we find such evidence, it would be absolutely fantastic achievement, but then we will need to describe them”, – says Svedhem. It is possible that the rover will find samples of ancient Martian fossils, and perhaps he will find error organisms imported from Earth. Scientists need to Martian samples were delivered to Earth – it is only in this case they will be able to learn the true origin of life found on Mars. After receiving the samples, they are in the laboratory will be able to make out the composition of the Martian soil. But it will be very ambitious project, because it will take more missile capable to rise from the surface of Mars, and spacecraft to deliver samples to Earth.
The amount of funding for program delivery Martian samples is likely to depend on that will “exomars”. But it is possible that in the course of this program, Mars will be declared a dead planet. “I think we very lucky if we find life – says Schneider. – After all, the question of whether there is life on Mars, and whether it has been there in the past, still has not been resolved »
Learn more at http: /. /www.oilru.com/news/506231 /
No comments:
Post a Comment