A FACILITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SCHOOL OF PLANETARY SCIENCES

Thales Alenia Space Italia and European Space Agency

Erfoud, Southern Morocco

In Spring 2016 the Ibn Battuta Centre supported the test of the radar/altimeter that controls the EDL of the ExoMars landers in 2016 and 2018. The Radar altimeter was mounted at the front of an Ecureuil B2.  The test sites have been analysed by IRSPS/Ibn Battuta and the Ibn Battuta has provided the logistic support. The test was performed in the Ibn Battuta facility at Erfoud and in the nearby Ibn Battuta Desert Outpost.

The operations involved 32 engineers, scientists and technicians, one helicopter, one drone, two large trucks, eleven 4x4 or cars. The Facilities consisted of offices, two workshops, one permanent landing pad, one temporary landing area and satellite communications. This has been one of the most complex operation performed by the IRSPS/Ibn Battuta Centre.

The test activities are performed by Thales Alenia Space Italia in the frame of Exomars, a broad cooperation program between ESA and Roscosmos with contributions from NASA consisting of two missions planned for launch in 2016 and 2020.