ExoMars 2020 PDD’s

Activities: Mechanical design and verification, GSE design and delivery

Customer: APP B.V.

ExoMars 2020 will deliver a European rover and a Russian surface platform to the surface of Mars. The rover will search for organic material, particularly from the very early history of the planet. The equipment will descent and land on Mars through a complex sequence involving atmospheric drag deceleration, two sequential parachute stages and thrusters.

The Parachute Deployment Devices (one PDD for each parachute stage) are complex pyrotechnical mortars, ejecting a drogue chute which subsequently ejects the main deceleration parachute.
ATG developed and verified the mechanical design of the PDD’s for APP; including load-path and mounting concept development, detailed design and CAD, analytical sizing and FE analyses, Fracture Control engineering, PDR and CDR reporting, Manufacturing engineering and drawing, Development and Qualification test campaigns co-engineering, finally leading to successful Qualification.

ATG also performed design, manufacturing and delivery of Ground Support Equipment for transport, assembly and testing