Reader Response of the ExoMars Drill Unit 01

READER RESPONSE DRAFT 01

Exploring signs of life on Mars and the geological/chemical components that make up Mars is possible through the ExoMars Drill Unit. With the ExoMars drill unit, soil samples will be extracted and then transported to another component of the rover to be examined. According to the European Space Agency (2021), the ExoMars drill managed to drill 1.7 metres deep into the ground on Earth, which is one of the deepest any drill has done. This means that the main purpose of the ExoMars rover: to find out chemical composition and possible signs of life through the soil, will be fulfilled.

The ExoMars Drill Unit contains the Ma_Miss instrument which is used to specify and measure the mineralogy and stratigraphy of the excavated borehole wall at different levels. According to a report done by Ferrari et al. (2019), the Ma_Miss instrument will allow for identifying the composition of the subsurface matters, plotting the spread of the subsurface water and hydrated phases, distinguish the crucial optical and physical properties of the materials, and lastly create a visualization that will give information on the subsurface geology. With such technology, data can be collected and examined, which will help with achieving one of the missions of the ExoMars Rover of identifying the subsurface geochemical environment.

However, based on an article by the European Space Agency (2019), the parachutes used for landing the ExoMars suffered unexpected damages when testing them. Multiple radial tears in the parachute’s fabric were seen immediately after the extraction from the main parachute bag. Another radial tear was seen when the second main parachute was extracted from its bag. With more rigorous testing, the company hopes to get over any obstacles and ensure that the system is almost full proof when flying to Mars.

In conclusion, the ExoMars Drill unit is an efficient and highly intricate robotic unit that will give us more information and details about the little known Mars. The drill unit will allow us to get samples from the Mars subsurface and give us visual representations and reports of the geological and chemical compositions of Mars. Through rigorous testing, the Mars Rover was modified and improved.

References:

European Space Agency (2019, September 1). The ExoMars Drill Unit. https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/43611-rover-drill

European Space Agency (2019, June 28). ExoMars 2020: progress and challenges. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/ExoMars_2020_progress_and_challenges

Ciarletti, Clifford, Plettemeier, Gall, Herve, Dorizon, Quantin-Nataf, Benedix, Schwenzer, Pettinelli, Heggy, Herique, Berthelier, Kofman, L.Vago, Hamran, and the WISDOM team (2017) The WISDOM Radar: Unveiling the Subsurface Beneath the ExoMars Rover and Identifying the Best Locations for Drilling. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ast.2016.1532

Ferrari, Angelis, Alteri, Frigeri, Ammannito, Mugnuolo, Pirrotta and the Ma_Miss team (2019) Laboratory activities in support to the Ma_Miss experiment onboard the ExoMars2020 rover

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC-DPS2019/EPSC-DPS2019-1711-1.pdf

European Space Agency (2021, September 15) First deep drilling success for ExoMars. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars/First_deep_drilling_success_for_ExoMars