On January 18, 2021, the specialists of the S.A. Lavochkin (part of the Roskosmos State Corporation), delivery of the ExoMars-2022 spacecraft to the Baikonur cosmodrome was provided. It is designed to participate in comprehensive tests of the technical complex of the spacecraft at the cosmodrome, which will ensure its preparation for launch in 2022.
During these tests in the summer of 2021, the entire technology of work with the product at the cosmodrome, including the operation of refueling the landing module, will be tested.
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The ExoMars-2022 mission is the second stage of the largest joint project of the Roscosmos State Corporation and the European Space Agency to explore the surface and subsurface layer of Mars in close proximity to the landing site, conduct geological research and search for traces of the possible existence of life on the planet. It will open a new stage in space exploration for the world scientific community.
Scientific and Production Association named after S.A. Lavochkina is the lead performer and coordinator of the work on the Russian side, as well as the developer and manufacturer of the landing module and landing platform. The launch of the mission is scheduled within the “astronomical window” in September-October 2022. This period was chosen taking into account the ballistic conditions that allow launching from Earth to Mars every two years.