EXOMARS is a European-led space exploration mission, currently under development by the European Space Agency (ESA) that will send a robotic rover to the surface of Mars.
The EXOMARS rover is a “robotic mission” which will provide Europe with new technologies for the exploration of Mars, specifically the surface Rover and its Drill and Sample Preparation and Distribution System (SPDS).
The EXOMARS spacecraft will be launched from the Guiana Space Centre (Kourou) in 2013: it will consist of the Carrier Module (CM) and a Descent Module (DM). The DM is consisting of the Entry and Descent System (EDS), the Landing Platform with the Rover Support and Egress System (SES) and the Airbags System. The scientific payloads are accommodated in two separate assemblies: the Pasteur Payload installed onboard the Rover, and the Geophysical Science Package, mounted on the Landing Platform. The Rover accommodates as well a drill capable of collecting soil samples down to 2 m below the Mars surface. The ROVER will be solar-powered with nominal mission duration on Mars surface of 180-sol (6 months).
The rover vehicle structure provides two insulated compartments, one in the rear dedicated to the basic Rover systems, the Service Module, one in the front containing the Analytical Laboratory Drawer (ALD) with the Pasteur analytical instruments and the Drill control equipment.
TAS-I will be responsible of the thermal control design and analysis of all the rover module: the Service Module thermal control will be developed by ASTRIUM UK (ASU) and the thermal control of the ALD by THALES ALENIASPACE Italia (TAS-I).
The rover module foresees the application of recent technology development in the field of the thermal control, such as Loop Heat Pipes and Radio-isotope Heating Unit (RHU).
Each of the two compartments presents complicated and specific thermal design solutions, to satisfy the severe mission profile and the different temperature requirements and operative tasks.
On the basis of the requirements and general definition guidelines for the TCS functions and design, the performed thermal analyses and design solutions are consequently generated and presented inside the paper.