From 22nd August to 14th September 2019, NOMAD and all other instruments onboard TGO take a well-earned break! This is due to solar conjunction, when Mars is on the opposite side of the Sun, meaning that communication is impossible between Earth and Mars. For TGO, this is when the angle between the Sun and Mars, as seen from Earth, is less than two degrees.

Here the Earth is represented by the blue circule and Mars is the orange circle. When the angle is too small, communication is impossible between any Mars rover or orbiter and the Earth, and so science operations cease. When communication is re-established, science can begin again.