The Russian-European ExoMars spacecraft made the first the fourth planet from the Sun. According to the news Agency Europe Press, citing data from the European space Agency, this is the second photograph taken from a camera, for the first time – in April – ExoMars captured arbitrarily selected area of outer space. The first image of Mars was made on 13 June with a distance of 41 million km.
The Agency noted that the first image cannot be compared with those pictures, which will be made upon arrival of the spacecraft to Mars. but it is of great importance for the whole mission. The image confirmed the sensitivity of the camera, – said the representative of ESA. – The well-focused, and the signal transmission quality meets expectations”. According to him, the closer to the red planet, the photos will be better and better.
According to ESA, the device, launched in March, has now overcome a little less than half the distance to the red planet. His goal, he will achieve only by October 2016. All the data collected along the way will be carefully analyzed. On the planet is supposed to study small gas pollutants in the atmosphere and the distribution of water ice in the Mars soil. The first will deal with the orbital module Trace Gas Orbiter, the second – Schiaparelli landing module.
