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.
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Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
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Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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This movie shows the complete spacecraft composite of the ExoMars 2022 mission in an anechoic chamber at Thales Alenia Space’s facilities in Cannes, France, undergoing a dynamic balancing test. This is to ensure the spacecraft is perfectly balanced when spinning in space.
The spacecraft comprises the carrier module (the eight-sided structure), the descent module (the white module in the centre) and the Rosalind Franklin rover and Kazachok surface platform, which are encapsulated inside the descent module.
The spacecraft composite was subjected to a spin up to 30 rpm, corresponding to a centrifugal acceleration of 2g at the outer edge of the heatshield.