European Mars Probe Performs First Critical Deep-Space Maneuver

The European Mars Probe has recently performed its first critical deep-space maneuver after its March 14 launch. European Space Agency's ESA officials said that the ExoMars spacecraft fired up its main engine for almost one hour, fine-tuning the probe's trajectory ahead of a planned Oct. 19 arrival at the Red Planet.

Deputy spacecraft operations manager Silvia Sangiorgi said the engine provides almost the same force as that needed to lift 45 kilograms of weight in a fitness studio. The European Mars probe ran for about 52 minutes which is quite a significant push, Space reported.

The ExoMars spacecraft consists of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Schiaparelli, a landing demonstrator. The pair is scheduled to separate on Oct. 16. Three days later, TGO will begin circling Mars while Schiaparelli will land on the planet's surface softly. TGO is intended to hunt for rare gases in the Red Planet's atmosphere especially methane, which may be a sign of Martian life. The vast majority of methane in Earth's atmosphere was produced by microbes. TGO is scheduled to begin its five-year mission in Dec. 2017 after slowly making its way down to its final science orbit.

Schiaparelli, on the other hand, will gather the environmental data on the Martian surface. It is intended to test out the technology needed to land the life-hunting ExoMars rover on Mars. That robot is scheduled to launch in 2020, which is the same year that NASA will send its next rover toward Mars, European Space Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the recent European Mars probe maneuver came after brief test burns done back in July 18 and July 21. ESA officials said that the current plan calls for three more engine firings on the way to Mars which are scheduled on Aug. 11, Sept. 19 and Oct. 14. The European Mars probe or ExoMars program is led by ESA with considerable support from Russia. Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency, is ESA's main partner on the project.