ExoMars Orbiter and Rover The Latest Mars Mission News

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An artist's depiction of the European-Russian Trace Gas Orbiter circling Mars.

Strange gas signature on Mars may help explain methane mystery

By Meghan Bartels published

A Mars orbiter run by the European Space Agency (ESA) has sniffed out two never-before-seen chemical signatures in the Red Planet's atmosphere.

Mars
This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

Coronavirus outbreak shakes the space industry: Here are the biggest effects so far

By Mike Wall last updated

The effects of the novel-coronavirus outbreak are extending into the final frontier.

Space Exploration
An artist's depiction of the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover Rosalind Franklin. ESA and Roscosmos have delayed its launch from 2020 to 2022 due to parachute problems.

Europe's ExoMars rover launch delayed to 2022 due to parachute problems

By Megan Gannon published

European and Russian space leaders have decided to postpone the launch of the ExoMars rover until 2022 due to issues with its parachutes and electronic equipment.

Mars Rovers
A closeup view of a parachute bag containing one of the two test parachutes of the ExoMars 2020 mission using a NASA test rig powered by compressed air. The image shows the new configuration of the parachute bag, which releases the parachute from the center outward, with the bag opening in a petal-like fashion.

Parachute problems could delay Europe's ExoMars rover launch to 2022: Report

By Elizabeth Howell published

Preparations to launch the ExoMars rover to the Red Planet this summer are in a crunch as critical parachute tests have again been delayed.

Mars Rovers
Artist's impression of a primitive ocean on Mars, which some researchers suggested harbored more water than the Arctic Ocean on Earth. (Most of that water was later lost to space.)

Mars Loses Its Water Even Faster Than Anyone Thought

By Charles Q. Choi published

Why is Mars dry? Water might escape the atmosphere more effectively than previously thought, potentially helping to explain how the Red Planet lost its vast oceans.

Mars
Diagram showing the ExoMars 2020 parachute deployment sequence.

European-Russian ExoMars Rover Team in 'Race Against the Clock' to Fix Parachutes for 2020 Launch

By Mike Wall published

The European-Russian ExoMars 2020 mission will have to find some parachute fixes fast if it wants to be ready for launch next summer.

Mars Rovers
A 3D rendition of a crater at Oxia Planum on Mars. The European Space Agency's ExoMars 2020 rover may land here in 2021.

Soar Over the Likely Mars Landing Site of Europe's ExoMars Rover in This 3D Animation

By Elizabeth Howell published

Feel like going for a spin around Mars? A new video shows a 3D view of where the European-Russian ExoMars rover will land, in a region that was likely filled with water billions of years ago.

Mars Rovers
Sand dunes ripple near Mars' north pole in this image captured by the European/Russian Trace Gas Orbiter. The photo was taken on May 25, 2019, and released on Sept. 16.

Sand Dunes Snake Near Mars' North Pole (Photo)

By Mike Wall published

Rippling, dark-flecked sand dunes near Mars' north pole look like melting chocolate-chip ice cream in an image captured by the European-Russian Trace Gas Orbiter.

Mars
A test image captured by the ExoMars rover's panoramic camera.

Europe's Mars Rover Rosalind Franklin Begins Big Tests for Red Planet

By Elizabeth Howell published

Europe hopes a robot called Rosalind Franklin will become its first rover on Mars, but the spacecraft has some big tests to pass before it launches next year.

Mars Rovers
Artist's illustration of NASA's planned Mars Ascent Vehicle launching samples off the surface of the Red Planet.

Bringing Pieces of Mars to Earth in 2031: How NASA and Europe Plan to Do It

By Mike Wall published

The complex, ambitious plan involves two rovers, a lander, an orbiter and an unprecedented launch off the Martian surface.

Mars
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