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ExoMars-2020 ground tests continue

In the beginning of September 2019, NPO Lavochkin specialists together with Thales Alenia Space Italia finished packing the integrated ExoMars-2020 spacecraft and auxiliary equipment into a special transportable container. The works were aimed to transport the vehicle to France for the next round of ground tests.

On September 8 the container was sent off to TASinF (Cannes, France) using a special cargo transport. Upon receiving the container, TASinF specialists performed the following operations:

• Unpacking ExoMars-2020;
• Visual checks;
• Impact sensors data checks;
• Switching on the vehicle;
• Instruments workability check.

No issues were found after the incoming inspection at TASinF. At the moment ExoMars-2020 is located in the clean tent and is undergoing a round of functional and complex tests of all the onboard instruments and systems. After the functional tests are over, the vehicle will be transferred into the thermal vacuum chamber for complex tests in the environment similar to those in open space.

The ExoMars-2020 mission is the second stage of Roscosmos largest international project together with the European Space Agency to explore Mars surface and subsurface in the area next to the landing site, geological research and searching for traces of possible life existence on the planet. The spacecraft is to open a new stage in space exploration for the world scientific community.

The mission is scheduled for launch in the window between July 26 - August 13, 2020.