@ESA_ExoMars

Investigating whether life has ever existed on Mars. @ESA_TGO in orbit since 2016, Rosalind Franklin rover launch TBC

esa.int/exomars
Joined October 2012
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  • Following55
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A prolific decade in Mars orbit. @esa’s Trace Gas Orbiter slipped into orbit around Mars at 17:24 CEST on 19 October 2016. Here are some impressive facts and figures about our largest Mars explorer 👇
Infographic with facts and figures about ESA's largest Mars explorer, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

ALT Infographic with facts and figures about ESA's largest Mars explorer, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

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🔴 Before @esa's Rosalind Franklin rover can explore Mars, it must first drive off its lander. 🪨 We might touch down on a slope or on top of a rock, and we will only have one chance to get it right. Once the rover leaves the landing platform, there is no way back. esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
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▶️ Separation for Mars, in slow motion. 🔴 European engineers are recreating the moment the #ExoMars lander breaks away from its backshell as it travels at 125km/h, less than 1km above the martian surface. 🎦 @esa, @Thales_Alenia_S, @AirbusSpace, Sener
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After travelling millions of km through deep space, @ESA_ExoMars will stretch out its four legs 🦿 Tests confirm our landing legs can deploy automatically in less than a second, ready for touchdown on Mars the moment the front shield is jettisoned. 🎦 @esa, @Thales_Alenia_S, @AirbusSpace, Sener
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👋 A spacecraft is flying by the Red Planet, just 4500 km away. 👀 While @NASA's #MissionToPsyche slingshots around Mars, two @esa spacecraft are watching. 📷 Stay tuned for images coming to us through the eyes of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Mars Express.
NASA Solar System
@NASASolarSystemMay 15
Replying to @NASASolarSystem @NASAJPL
☑️Closest approach! Distance: 2,800 miles Speed: 12,300 mph
Simulated view of the Psyche spacecraft, with its "wings" of solar panel arrays, passing above the surface of the planet Mars, now seen in nearly full phase.

ALT Simulated view of the Psyche spacecraft, with its "wings" of solar panel arrays, passing above the surface of the planet Mars, now seen in nearly full phase.

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Replying to @esaspaceflight @ESA_Tech @esa
Ok, but is planetary protection expensive? 🤔 Our experts have their say: blogs.esa.int/to-mars-and-ba…
The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover ready to be moved with planetary protection measures in place.

ALT The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover ready to be moved with planetary protection measures in place.

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Replying to @ESA_Tech
▶️  Watch @esa’s Mars chief engineer Albert Haldemann explain the sterilisation of one of the parachutes for the #ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission and why it matters.
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🧭 Which way to Mars for less space radiation, please? ☢️ Data from @esa's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter confirms that travelling during solar maximum is the safest time for a trip #ToMarsAndBack. 🤯 The radiation paradox: esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
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ESA_ExoMars retweeted
ESA Science
@esascienceMar 5
🆕 Cast your mind back to May 2024... remember how a massive solar storm triggered northern lights across Europe? We can now reveal how this same solar storm affected Mars, thanks to clever teamwork from our two Mars orbiters. Find out more 👉 esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
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Out of Mars, lost in space. 🌪️ A new study reveals how some water disappeared from the Red Planet. The culprit: a rare, intense dust storm driving water vapour 80 kilometres up into the martian atmosphere. blogs.esa.int/to-mars-and-ba… @ESA_TGO @iaa_csic @UTokyo_News_en @BIRA_IASB
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Drop it like it's... on Mars 🤟 European engineers are testing our four-legged #ExoMars landing platform by dropping it onto simulated martian surfaces. 📽️ @Thales_Alenia_S @ALTECSpace @AirbusSpace
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There is a blackout between Mars and Earth, and the Sun is to blame. 🔴⚫️🌍 🌞 Once every 25 months, our star passes between these two planets. The alignment is called solar conjunction. 🔇 While the Sun blocks our view of Mars until 21 January, communication with our martian orbiters falls silent. This is because solar atmosphere blocks radio signals between Earth and the spacecraft.
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#3IATLAS update: we've just pinpointed the comet's path with 10 times more accuracy, using data from our @ESA_ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft.😎 esa.int/Space_Safety/Planeta… @esascience @ESA_TGO @esaoperations
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SWOOSH! 🧹 When a meteoroid struck Mars, it triggered ~100 dust avalanches down the slopes of an ancient volcano. @esa's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captured the dramatic effect of this rare cascade. A new study in @NatureComms suggests that most streaks on the Red Planet are caused by seasonal changes stirring up dust and wind. 💨 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Image…
The European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captured streaks from dust avalanches on the slopes of Apollinaris Mons on Mars, caused by a meteoroid between 2013 and 2017.

ALT The European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captured streaks from dust avalanches on the slopes of Apollinaris Mons on Mars, caused by a meteoroid between 2013 and 2017.

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ESA_ExoMars retweeted
ESA Science
@esascience8 Oct 2025
🆕Researchers combed through images from ESA's #MarsExpress & #ExoMars spacecraft to find 1039 swirling dust devils 🌪️ Using these dust devils to track raging winds on Mars, their findings include that the strongest winds blow much faster than we thought! Read more 👉 esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
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ESA_ExoMars retweeted
ESA Science
@esascience7 Oct 2025
First images of comet #3I/ATLAS from Europe's Mars orbiters 😍 Observing the comet from 30 million km away, #ExoMars reveals the halo of gas and dust surrounding the comet's nucleus. Read more 👉 esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
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🤓 Learn more about the art of processing martian samples on the blog #ToMarsandBack: blogs.esa.int/to-mars-and-ba…
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📢 New episode featuring @esa's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover! 🍿 Watch the most sophisticated laboratory set to work on Mars in action. Like a factory floor, an automated sequence drives material through the lab.
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🪂 The largest parachute to ever fly on Mars deployed gracefully on Earth, slowing down an @ESA_ExoMars dummy descent module for a safe touchdown. Watch this slow-motion footage captured from the capsule after its release at nearly 30 km above the Arctic Circle. 📽️ Vorticity
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A tiny @ESA_ExoMars capsule rockets off at 4000 km per hour to simulate the aerodynamics of a Mars descent. This supersonic test happened in the blink of an eye, captured here in slow motion. Shooting for a Mars landing: blogs.esa.int/to-mars-and-ba… 📸: ISL
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