DECA – the descent camera on Schiaparelli – is prepared for transportation
Date: 11 July 2014
Satellite: ExoMars 2016 - Schiaparelli
Copyright: ESA
DECA - the DEscent CAmera on Schiaparelli, the ExoMars 2016 entry, descent and landing demonstrator module (EDM) - will reach the surface of Mars and for this reason it has to be properly cleaned to meet planetary protection requirements. This image shows two technicians in a cleanroom at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, preparing DECA for transportation to Thales Alenia Space, Italy for integration into the flight model of the EDM. They are about to seal DECA into the outer of two anti-static bags. The bags are for protection during transportation and will be removed before flight.
DECA was designed and built by Optique et Instruments de Précision (OIP) in Belgium for ESA. It is the re-named flight spare of the VMC (Visual Monitoring Camera), which flew on the Herschel spacecraft.
