At the heart of mission preparations ExoMarswhose launch is planned for 2028, a unique operation was carried out. THE parachute 35 meters in diameter, intended to slow down the descent of the rover Rosalind Franklin on Marsunderwent shock heat treatment. Weighing 74 kg and made of nylon and Kevlar, it is the largest parachute ever sent to the Red Planet.
An essential sterilization procedure
The main objective is to avoid any contamination of Mars. The ExoMars mission aims to search for signs of past or present life. The introduction of terrestrial microbes could completely skew scientific results and lead to a false detection of life.
This precaution is part of international planetary protection measures. This involves not only protecting the mission, but also preserving the Martian environment from any biological contamination of terrestrial origin, a fundamental principle of space exploration.
How did the cooking go?
The parachute was placed in a specialized sterilization oven at the European Space Agency laboratory in the Netherlands. To determine the perfect parameters, the experts had to carry out multiple tests on exact copies, due to the lack of a pre-existing “recipe” for such equipment.
The final protocol chosen was a preheating of 50 hours so that the heat reached the core of the parachute, followed by cooking at 125°C for 36 hours. The entire operation took place in an ISO class 1 clean room, one of the most sterile environments in Europe.
Next steps for this equipment
After this intense cooking, the parachute was left to cool for several hours before being meticulously packaged by the teams. Perfectly sterile and sealed, it was returned to its manufacturer, Thales Alenia Space in Italy.
It is now awaiting its final integration into the spaceship. This successful step brings the mission one step closer to its objective, knowing that an exact copy of this parachute has already validated its effectiveness during a high altitude drop test last year.
N.B. : Source image (vignette) : ESA-SJM.
