
ExoMars launch scheduled for 09:31 GMT (10:31 CET) - jpatokal
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/Watch_ExoMars_launch
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creshal
Launch successful so far:

[http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/ExoM...](http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/ExoMars_launch_updates)

Half of the recent Proton losses have been from third stage failures (worked
here), the other half of the Briz-M upper stage (still needs to do a few more
burns).

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thatsthree
Half is 1, I presume?

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creshal
• 2015, 935-54: Third stage failure

• 2014, 935-45: Third stage failure

• 2013, 935-43: First stage failure

• 2012, 935-34: Briz-M failure

• 2012, 935-31: Briz-M failure

• 2011, 935-21: Briz-M failure

• 2010, 535-37: Blok-D failure

3/6 in the Proton-M+Briz-M configuration, 3/7 total, for this decade. There
were also two failed Rokot launches involving a different Briz configuration
(Briz-KM).

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rodionos
Here's the full list of 97 launches for Proton M series. Failures, 9 in total,
denoted with red border or green background:
[https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BE...](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BA_%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2_%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B9_%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD-%D0%9C_%288%D0%9A82%D0%9A%D0%9C%29)

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kristianp
From [1], "The primary goal of the ExoMars programme is to address the
question of whether life has ever existed on Mars. ".

Really? Why is so much money spent, seemingly on just that goal? It seems such
a waste to search for life on Mars when it's so unlikely. Sure finding signs
of past life would be a great discovery, but it seems unlikely after the
number of missions that have gone already. Surely there are better goals for a
mission.

If you're really searching for tiny signs of life in a nook or layer of dirt,
wouldn't you have to send 100s of thousands of probes, not just one additional
lander?

Rant ends. Sorry.

[1]
[http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/What...](http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/What_is_ExoMars)

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capote
Can anyone tell me why 9:31 and not 9:30?

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JesseObrien
I'm not a rocket scientist, but I would say likely that's when the launch
window opened, or it was inside the window to be able to get the craft on the
right trajectory to Mars. Launch windows take into account where the target's
orbit is (in this case Mars) and where Earth is inside that window. In this
case, the launch window was likely quite large due to Mars' orbit being quite
a distance from Earth (and quite stable) which leaves quite a bit of time for
correction burns in case the rocket is off course at all.

See:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_window](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_window)

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Sharlin
There are two timescales in play here.

The first relevant thing is indeed the orbital position of Mars in relation to
Earth. For simple Hohmann transfers, launch windows to Mars open every 26
months or so, and they last several days. In this case, ExoMars launch could
have been delayed until March 25 had any issues prevented the launch today.

The second timescale has to do with Earth's rotation. Even though most
interplanetary spacecraft, including the ExoMars probe, are launched into a
temporary parking orbit before injection to transplanetary trajectory, that
orbit needs to have the right shape and inclination to make the injection burn
feasible from the fuel economy point of view. Orbital plane changes are
particularly expensive. Thus, the daily launch window may only last a minute
or so when the launch site intersects the plane of the ecliptic.

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manaskarekar
Is there an alternate link, perhaps youtube? Livestream never seems to work
for me.

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flxn
I can't find a video of the programme that was on the livestream.

There is a short video of the launch on ESA's youtube channel but the quality
is horrible.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhriETwPf10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhriETwPf10)

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martiuk
Roscosmos' video is of a much better quality

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r7qqK5E7fU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r7qqK5E7fU)

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anthk
Funny how I female friend is working there. I envy you, in a good way :)

