Furthermore, separate power lines are provided to the Pyro Bus and the Schiaparelli lander to keep the lander’s non-rechargeable batteries charged until separation by having the lander rely on TGO’s power during cruise. The remaining power lines pass electrical power to the instruments, the Payload Data Handling Unit, the UHF Electra Radios and the Thermal Control System. The PCU directly delivers power to the Propulsion Control and Drive Unit, a separate line delivers power to the Spacecraft Management Unit and the Attitude Determination and Control System. The PCU delivers nine separate and redundant power lines that are individually protected for maximum power flexibility and robustness of the system. Each solar array has its own Solar Array Drive Mechanism capable of rotating the solar arrays to continuously face the sun whenever possible given the spacecraft’s orientation. On average, the solar arrays will generate 2,000 Watts of power, delivered to the Power Conditioning Unit (PCU) that conditions the spacecraft’s regulated power bus and controls the state of charge of the spacecraft battery. Covered with triple-junction Gallium-Arsenide solar cells, each array is comprised of two panels, being 3.12 meters long and 1.74 meters wide, bringing the length of each array to 7.9 meters. Spacecraft Block Diagram Credit: Thales Alenia SpaceĮlectrical Power System & Thermal Control Image: ESAįor power generation, TGO is outfitted with a pair of solar arrays that will measure 17.5 meters from tip to tip when deployed in space. The propellant tanks are facilitated within the central tube to allow the center of gravity of the vehicle to remain in one place when the tanks are emptied. It also provides a base for the attachment of the Schiaparelli lander on the zenith side of the spacecraft. The central cylinder serves as a backbone of the spacecraft, distributing loads experienced during launch throughout the spacecraft structure. The internal and external panel use a Carbon Reinforced Polymer – Aluminum Honeycomb material taking advantage of its stability and low weight. Structurally, TGO is comprised of the Central Tube supporting the satellite structure, internal panels fanning out from the central tube and external panels, providing mounting surfaces for the various orbiter subsystems. In its launch configuration, TGO measures 3.2 by 2 by 2 meters and has a mass of 4,332 Kilograms including the 112-Kilogram science payload and 600-Kilogram Schiaparelli lander that is being ferried to Mars by the orbiter and released on an intercept path with the Planet three days before arrival. The Trace Gas Orbiter is comprised of a box-shaped spacecraft platform supported by an interior central tube 1.19 meters in diameter. Spacecraft Structure Central Tube and internal TGO Structure – Photo: OHB TGO was built by Thales Alenia Space under contract by the European Space Agency and carries four instruments, two developed in Europe and two contributed by Russia in the mission’s collaboration between ESA and Roscosmos. The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is the principal component of the ExoMars 2016 mission, setting out for a multi-year exploration mission in orbit around Mars to map the Martian atmosphere with special focus on trace gases including Methane, a biologically relevant gas that has shown a spatial and temporal variability making its sources and sinks an interesting topic of study.
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