| Astrophysics (Index) | About |
The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter or ExoMars TGO) is a Mars orbiter to measure methane and other gases of interest in the Martian atmosphere. It was launched and entered Mars orbit in 2016, aiming at a 7-year operational life. It is a project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, as part of their ExoMars program of Mars exploration. Launched and transported with it was Schiaparelli, a prototype landing vehicle that landed harder than planned, unable to function afterward. TGO instruments:
MAGE (the Mars Atmospheric and Gravity Experiment) is an investigation using data extracted from its radio-based navigation/tracking, in particular to retrieve gravity anomaly data, including changes in ice caps over time, and also data regarding the atmosphere from its effect on aerobraking (modifying the orbit using interaction with the atmosphere).