On Oct. 19, 2016, the European Space Agency's ExoMars mission arrived at Mars! ‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com
ExoMars consists of the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Schiaparelli lander. The orbiter and lander travelled there together and separated on Oct. 16, three days before the orbiter entered orbit around Mars, and the lander touched down on the planet's surface. But something went wrong during the lander's descent, and it crashed into the ground. Schiaparelli did not survive the accident, but the Trace Gas Orbiter is still functional. It is currently circling the planet, looking for methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere that could be evidence for possible biological activity.
ExoMars consists of the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Schiaparelli lander. The orbiter and lander travelled there together and separated on Oct. 16, three days before the orbiter entered orbit around Mars, and the lander touched down on the planet's surface. But something went wrong during the lander's descent, and it crashed into the ground. Schiaparelli did not survive the accident, but the Trace Gas Orbiter is still functional. It is currently circling the planet, looking for methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere that could be evidence for possible biological activity.
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00:00On this day in space.
00:03In 2016, the European Space Agency's ExoMars mission arrived at Mars.
00:08ExoMars consists of the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Schiaparelli Lander.
00:12The orbiter and lander traveled there together and separated on October 16th,
00:16three days before the orbiter entered orbit around Mars and the lander touched down on the planet's surface.
00:21But something went wrong during the lander's descent and it crashed into the ground.
00:25Schiaparelli did not survive the accident, but the Trace Gas Orbiter is still functional.
00:29It is currently circling the planet looking for methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere
00:33that could be evidence for possible biological activity.
00:37And that's what happened on this day in space.
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