Deployment of MARSIS boom 3

Animation showing the non-critical deployment of the third boom of the MARSIS instrument on ESA's Mars Express on 17 June, which proceeded smoothly as planned.

The delicate three-stage phase of radar boom deployment, and all the following tests to verify spacecraft integrity, took place between 2 May and 19 June. Deployment of the first boom was completed on 10 May. That boom, initially stuck in unlocked mode, was later released by exploiting solar heating of its hinges.

Taking advantage of the lessons learnt from that first boom-deployment exercise, the second 20-metre boom was successfully deployed on 14 June.