The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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In less than a minute, this speeded-up animation depicts the progress made by ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter during its year-long aerobraking campaign at Mars, between January 2017 and March 2018. It shows the lowering of the apocentre (point of furthest separation from Mars) on each orbit, at right, owing to the slight drag imparted by the faint wisps of Mars’ upper atmosphere at pericentre (point of closest approach) on each orbit, at left.
The pause around the 20 second point corresponds to the pause in aerobraking in summer 2017 due to Mars conjunction, when the Sun, Earth and Mars lined up in their orbits, blocking reliable radio communication between the two planets.
The final orbit, approximately 380 x 420 km and almost circular, will be attained around mid-April. This orbit will be optimised for science observations for the spacecraft’s instruments and for catching signals from surface rovers for relay to Earth.