The contract signed by Thales AleniaSpace, a jv between Thales 67% and Leonardo 33%, includes "the construction of the entry, descent and landing module on Mars (Edlm, Entry, Descent and Landing Module) and the maintenance and reconfiguration activities of the vehicles already built for the 2022 mission", which was born in collaboration with the Russian space agency, a collaboration that was then definitively suspended after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Now the focus is on a European rover that will be equipped with a drill developed by Leonardo: "It will collect soil samples by drilling into the Martian soil, up to 2 meters deep. It will analyze the chemical, physical and biological properties using its analytical laboratory (Analytical LaboratoryDrawer ALD) developed from Thales Alenia Space. One of the objectives of the mission is to search for bacteria underground, living or fossilized, which would constitute evidence of existing or previous life on the Red Planet."
In the meantime, "the Trace Gas Orbiter (Tgo), protagonist of the first part of the ExoMars mission, built as prime contractor by Thales Alenia Space, is active in orbit around Mars, with the task of detecting trace gases in the Martian atmosphere, in particular methane Its operational life will be extended to support the ExoMars 2028 mission."
Thales Alenia Space, it is underlined, thus "confirms its role as industrial prime contractor" of the mission "with responsibility for the design of the Edlm module, the creation of its radar altimeter, the analytical laboratory, its integration on the rover and the on-board computer. It is also responsible for the integration of the testing activities and the launch campaign".
"From the Sun to Saturn, and from Mercury to Venus, Jupiter and Mars, our solutions have accompanied every space odyssey, trying to reveal the most closely guarded secrets of the universe" comments Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space: "In the near future the Moon, with the Artemis II and III missions, will be the center of attention and our company will be at the forefront of manned lunar exploration, working in particular on the European Service Module of the Orion spacecraft, the Gateway cislunar space station and multipurpose lunar habitats. 2028 reinforces Thales Alenia Space's position as one of the leaders in the field of space exploration." "We are truly honored by ESA's renewed trust in our company by entrusting us with the activities for the restoration and continuation of this challenging mission to discover traces of life on Mars - says Massimo Comparini, CEO of ThalesAlenia Space Italia -. The advanced technology, the know-how how and the experience of Thales Alenia Space make us protagonists of space exploration. Today we celebrate the continuation of an extraordinary international program, the result of the synergy and cooperation between the Agencies and the space industry. We are ready for the crucial months that await us and confident in our ability to continue to expand the boundaries of the exploration of the universe, thanks to the constant work of our specialized engineers and technicians, committed every day to carrying forward challenges like these".
Thales Alenia Space leads a consortium that includes Airbus Defense & Space (UK) for the rover and the mechanical, thermal and propulsion systems of the landing module; ArianeGroup (France) for the frontal shield and part of the thermal protection of the aeroshell; Ohb (Germany) for the carrier module and Altec (Italy) for the rover operations control center. In France, Thales Alenia Space is developing part of the aeroshell (the rear shield) while from Switzerland it will supply the rooms and the electronic control unit of the braking motors of the landing module.
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