ExoMars, the traces of Martian life: the final hours before the launch of the European probe – The Messenger

From our correspondent
MOSCOW sleet and tourists stretch up on the Red Square in Moscow, must-intermediate on the route leading to the Russian cosmodrome of Baikonur, Russian enclave in Kazakhstan where Monday morning detach the shadow from the ground and from the earth the Proton rocket with the probe directed ExoMars Mars.

For the first time an Italian subject, the lander Schiaparelli, a concentration of advanced technology, it will touch down on the Red Planet after an eight-month journey. The letter you should say “ammarterà”, but this time, with many reasons, the search for ‘should not give the green light to the use of the verb, much less the noun “ammartaggio”. With the Moon it was much easier, even poetic. We look back in 20 or 30 years old when, thanks to the tremendous wealth of data collected by the ExoMars mission, it’s up to the man. Or to a woman, because at the time as a Cristoforetti, now 36-year old, he will not lose a gram of determination that made you want to become an astronaut. Would start immediately, as that of his fellow commuter with the Earth’s orbit.

 
 

In general
Muscovite European Space Agency headquarters nothing is done to hide the tension is not only for the cost of the firm, one billion and 300 million euro, but why at this time the legions of scientists, engineers, researchers see fifteen years of work and dreams atop 600 tons of fuel that will burn at 3 thousand degrees to overcome the force of gravity and launch the probe to Mars for a curved trajectory of 60 million kilometers. And ‘as if fired an arrow from a car that runs on Gra to hit a wheel of fortune that spins the area around Milan.

For the rest of Europe – according to the Times – has already accomplished the feat of the century, the twentieth century including, centering with the lander Philae comet 67P distant at that time 560 million km after a ten-year journey of over a billion kilometers. The arrow as before, this time, from Racciordo would have to center the bersagio in New York. To succeed not just knowing the multiplication tables, but you have to be quite visionary.

But in the end how many possibilities there are for the ExoMars mission to find traces of life on Mars and also other useful elements to encourage the next manned mission ?

“the 2016 ExoMars European mission is an opportunity for Europe with Italy that has a leading role with the national industry Thales Alenia Spac. Decisive for the preparation of the second part of the 2018 mission it will be achieved the drilling of the surface of Mars to search for life on a planet that does not show, at present, this presence with evidence. ” The president of the Italian Space Agency, Roberto Battiston, explains the importance of the mission that sees the European Space Agency and the collaboration with the Italian Space Agency’s director of companies such as Thales Alenia Space Italy, Finmeccanica’s Telespazio and Altec. “It will be important to clarify -has added the number one open dell’Asi- the many mysteries of this planet, our geological mate, given that there is water on Mars in different forms in the ground.” “It is not surprising that chiarito- -he has not yet found life on Mars because cosmic radiation sterilized everything. We look for traces of carbon. ”

             Saturday, March 12, 2016, 20:42 – Last Updated: 00:25
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