ESA’s Earth Return Orbiter has reached a significant milestone on its mission to bring the first Mars samples back to Earth. The spacecraft recently completed its Platform Critical Design Review, confirming the performance, quality, and reliability of the systems for this groundbreaking mission.
The Earth Return Orbiter is a key part of the Mars Sample Return campaign, which aims to return martian rock, soil, and atmospheric samples to Earth. European industry is now gearing up for the next phase, with the validation of the design paving the way for the integration phase.
NASA has updated its Mars Sample Return program to reduce complexity, risk, and cost, and ESA has been working closely with NASA to prepare for these changes. The Earth Return Orbiter is now ready to begin manufacturing and testing its components for the upcoming mission.
The spacecraft’s innovative design allows it to capture a basketball-sized capsule filled with samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover. This mission showcases European technological prowess, with teams utilizing advanced technologies in autonomous navigation and rendezvous.
The Earth Return Orbiter’s five-year mission to Mars and back will also involve acting as a communication relay with rovers and landers on the martian surface. With contributions from 11 European countries, including France, Italy, Germany, and the UK, the spacecraft is set to be the largest ever built for interplanetary flight.
Airbus Defence and Space has overall responsibility for the mission, with Thales Alenia Space playing a crucial role in assembling the spacecraft and developing the communication system. This mission marks a new chapter in space exploration, with European excellence at its core.
Vocabulary List:
- Milestone /?ma?l?sto?n/ (noun): An important event or point in progress.
- Groundbreaking /??ra?nd?bre?k??/ (adjective): Introducing new ideas or methods.
- Validation /?væl??de???n/ (noun): The action of checking or proving the accuracy or quality of something.
- Integration /??nt???re???n/ (noun): The process of combining parts into a whole.
- Autonomous /???t?n?m?s/ (adjective): Having the freedom to act independently.
- Rendezvous /?r?nd??vu?/ (noun): A meeting at an agreed time and place.
Vocabulary List:
- Milestone /ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn/ (noun): An important event or point in progress.
- Groundbreaking /ˈɡraʊndˌbreɪkɪŋ/ (adjective): Introducing new ideas or methods.
- Validation /ˌvælɪˈdeɪʃən/ (noun): The action of checking or proving the accuracy or quality of something.
- Integration /ˌɪntɪˈɡreɪʃən/ (noun): The process of combining parts into a whole.
- Autonomous /ɔːˈtɒnəməs/ (adjective): Having the freedom to act independently.
- Rendezvous /ˈrɒn.deɪ.vuː/ (noun): A meeting at an agreed time and place.
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