Spectrum analyser snapshot

Spectrum analyser snapshot showing LaRa signal acquisition followed by precise Doppler tracking. At about 8 x 8 x 20 cm plus a trio of antennas, ESA’s Lander Radioscience experiment, or LaRa for short, is a bit larger than a 1-litre milk carton. But it functions as a high-performing transponder, tasked with maintaining an extremely stable direct radio-frequency link between Earth and Mars for a full Martian year – two Earth years – once ExoMars has touched down.