NASA’s Perseverance Rover was tracked by ExoMars. The high camera on the gas orbiter appeared on the surface of Mars.
On February 23, the orbital ExoMars jointly formed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Roscomos National Space Activities Company took an image of Mars, which showed a tiny faint spot on the ground in the distance-Perseverance.Issued ESA On February 25, this picture also showed the rover’s throwaway parachute and rear hull, heat shield, and rocket power down phase, all of which are essential for a consistent and safe landing on February 18.
ExoMars also participated The painful landing of perseverance In Jezero Crater, relay important data back Earth The ESA representative said in a statement that this shows the progress of the rover.
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The ESA-Roscosmos orbiter reached Mars on October 19, 2016, five years before Perseverance. Its scientific instruments sample and analyze molecules in the Martian atmosphere so that scientists can better understand the presence of very small amounts of atmospheric gases, such as methane, which may indicate biological or geological activities on distant planets. According to ESA.
ExoMars also carried cameras, and its Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) captured Perseverance at an altitude of about 249 miles (400 kilometers). This image is a snapshot of all stages of perseverance descent after the spacecraft left the cruise stage.
The rear shell (a small white dot on the far left of the photo) launched a small thruster during the initial descent to maintain perseverance. According to NASA. Next to the back cover of the image is another white dot: Parachute of Perseverance. When the rover decelerated to less than 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h), it began to deploy. After the parachute was opened, the heat shield separated and fell to the ground; the shield can be seen as a dark spot on the far right in the photo.
Perseverance then abandoned the parachute and fired the engine during the descent phase. When the rover landed, it cut off the connecting cable, and the descending platform flew off the ground, out of perseverance. It appears in the photo as a dark spot about half of the space between the rover and the parachute and rear shell.
ESA’s statement said: “The orbiter will continue to provide data relay support between the Earth and Mars for NASA’s ground missions.” When the European Rosalind Franklin Rover and the Russian Kazakhstan surface platform are launched in 2023 When reaching Mars, ExoMars will also play a supporting role.
When Elton John sang in “Rocketman,” it was lonely in space. But, at least on Mars, our robotic ambassadors on the ground and in orbit can keep “eyes” to each other.
Originally published in “Life Science”.
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