Supplies for spacecraft fuelling
The large, red and yellow labelled drums pictured here contain monomethylhydrazine (MMH), used for fuelling the ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO).
The bipropellant propulsion system for TGO is composed of MMH and an oxidiser (MON: mixed oxides of nitrogen). About 937 kg of MMH and 1499 kg of MON will be used to fuel TGO.
Also seen here are two long, slim fuel containers (in the metal basket), which contain hydrazine for Schiaparelli, the entry, descent and landing demonstrator module.
The three 17.5 litre tanks on Schiaparelli are filled with 15 kg of hydrazine. This fuels the nine thrusters, clustered in groups of three, which are used to slow down the module as it descends through the Martian atmosphere.
Both MON and MMH were procured via Gerling Holz in Germany. The fuel was brought by ship to St. Petersburg and then by train to the cosmodrome.