Shaking ExoMars

8 April 2013 - The structural model of the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module, or EDM, of ESA's 2016 ExoMars mission has been subjected to a series of intense shaker tests to simulate the rigours of launching into space. EDM will be launched to Mars together with the Trace Gas Orbiter and will test key landing technologies in preparation for the 2018 ExoMars rover mission and subsequent missions to Mars. The orbiter will search for evidence of methane and other atmospheric gases that could be signatures of active biological or geological processes. It will also act as a relay for EDM and the ExoMars rover, which will search the planet's surface and drill to depths of 2 m, looking for signs of life, past and present. Before being launched to the Red Planet, each component of the mission must undergo thorough testing to certify it for the journey from Earth to the surface of Mars, and for the harsh space environment. EDM arrived at ESTEC, ESA's technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, in mid-February, on a lorry from the Turin facility of Thales Alenia Space in Italy. After unpacking in one of ESTEC's cleanrooms, it was subjected to a leak-test, to verify the bio-seal between its main structural elements, the aeroshell, front shield and back cover.