Schiaperelli Lander and EXO-Mars news.

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

The European Space Agency's Schiaparelli lander on board the ExoMars spacecraft, is scheduled to land on Mars on October 19.

The European Space Agency (ESA) probe was launched on March 14 and has almost completed a 310 million mile (500 million km) voyage across the solar system.

It is due to deploy the small Schiaparelli lander on October 16.

Three days later, the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) will brake into an elliptical orbit around Mars while Schiaparelli enters the Martian atmosphere and parachutes down to the surface.


Trace Gas Orbiter

Schiaperelli

The 2.4m wide disc-shaped craft will aim for Meridiani Planum, a flat region near the equator.

Its main mission is to pave the way for the ExoMars Rover, a hi-tech six-wheeled laboratory equipped with life-seeking instruments to be launched in 2020

Schiaparelli will test the rover's descent and landing system - which employs a heat shield, parachute, and retro rockets.

It also carries a small instrument package that will record wind speed, humidity, pressure and temperature at the landing site - and take electric field measurements that may shed light on how Martian dust storms are triggered.

The Trace Gas Orbiter (artist's impression) will brake into an elliptical orbit around Mars while Schiaparelli enters the Martian atmosphere and parachutes down to the surface


The spacecraft is being controlled from the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany.

However, many of its systems are automatic and not dependent on direct commands from Earth.

Schiaparelli's command sequences are time-saved to ensure the lander can carry out its mission even when out of contact.

During the landing, the command signals will eject the front and back aeroshells, operate descent sensors, deploy the braking parachute, and activate three groups of rockets.

At around 6.6 feet (two metres) above the surface, Schiaparelli will hover briefly before cutting its retro thrusters and dropping to the ground.


http://m.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Schiaparelli_readied_for_Mars_landing

http://exploration.esa.int/mars/46475-trace-gas-orbiter/

 

[alucasa]

Are they sending Mars bars as well?

They have to.

 

[qubit]

I really like the first pic - at first glance it looks like a tiny city with shiny domes and square buildings with lots of shiny everywhere.

Let's science the s* out of Mars!

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Instruments on board
http://m.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/Schiaparelli_s_instruments

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

European space probe starts three-day descent to Mars to begin its hunt for the search for intelligent life on the red planet.

The landing module will land on the surface on Wednesday and begin working. ESA says that Schiaparelli will enter the atmosphere on Wednesday at a speed of nearly 13,000 mph before being slowed by atmospheric drag and then deploying a parachute and thrusters.

The 577-kilogram (1,272-pound) lander is expected to collect data during its descent and operate on the surface for a few days.

The lander carries sensors designed to measure wind speed and direction, humidity, temperature and electric fields.

 

[rtwjunkie]

European space probe starts three-day descent to Mars to begin its hunt for the search for intelligent life on the red planet

So, I'm guessing they are completely bypassing the search for any life at all ever existing (beyond the circumstantial indicators found already), and going directly to the search for intelligent life?

 

[Drone]

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

The main engine burn will be starting at 14:05 GMT (15:05 CEST) tomorrow,( Wednesday) and will be live-streamed.

ESA's Livestream


Atmospheric entry is expected at 15:42 BST (10:42 ET) and landing will be at 15:48 BST (10:48 ET).

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

ESA's Livestream

 

[Caring1]

So what happened?
Last I heard they had lost contact.

 

[dorsetknob]

So what happened?
Last I heard they had lost contact.

It Landed " but not the way they expected/Planned "

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

I am reading that the parachute was jettisoned too early and the retro rockets didnt fire for long enough.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Yeah...catastrophic failure. Failure analysis now.
European Space Agency confirms Mars lander lost during descent

 

[rtwjunkie]

I am reading that the parachute was jettisoned too early and the retro rockets didnt fire for long enough.

Not good. Good thing it was UNmanned.

 

[dorsetknob]

Mission was /is not a Complete Failure
Some things Achieved were
Successful orbital insertion of Main Satellite ( which can and will proceed to do Valid Science )

Not so good but
source of Refined Pure metals Deposited on Surface ( may one day be usefull ).
Alien Dust Devil/bunny Crushed to Death

 

[Drone]

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter views Schiaparelli landing site

One of the features is bright and can be associated with the 12-m diameter parachute used in the second stage of Schiaparelli’s descent, after the initial heat shield entry. The parachute and the associated back shield were released from Schiaparelli prior to the final phase, during which its nine thrusters should have slowed it to a standstill just above the surface.

The other new feature is a fuzzy dark patch roughly 15 x 40 sq. m in size and ~ 1 km north of the parachute. This is interpreted as arising from the impact of the Schiaparelli module itself following a much longer free fall than planned, after the thrusters were switched off prematurely.

Estimates are that Schiaparelli dropped from a height of between 2-4 km, therefore impacting at a considerable speed, > 300 km/h. The relatively large size of the feature would then arise from disturbed surface material. It is also possible that the lander exploded on impact, as its thruster propellant tanks were likely still full.

 

[64K]

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter views Schiaparelli landing site

One of the features is bright and can be associated with the 12-m diameter parachute used in the second stage of Schiaparelli’s descent, after the initial heat shield entry. The parachute and the associated back shield were released from Schiaparelli prior to the final phase, during which its nine thrusters should have slowed it to a standstill just above the surface.

The other new feature is a fuzzy dark patch roughly 15 x 40 sq. m in size and ~ 1 km north of the parachute. This is interpreted as arising from the impact of the Schiaparelli module itself following a much longer free fall than planned, after the thrusters were switched off prematurely.

Estimates are that Schiaparelli dropped from a height of between 2-4 km, therefore impacting at a considerable speed, > 300 km/h. The relatively large size of the feature would then arise from disturbed surface material. It is also possible that the lander exploded on impact, as its thruster propellant tanks were likely still full.

That's a shame.

 

[Caring1]

Not sure why I expected a much slower descent, with nearly no gravity on Mars.
The free fall was surprisingly fast.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Not sure why I expected a much slower descent, with nearly no gravity on Mars.
The free fall was surprisingly fast.

Actually, Gravity is 62% lower on Mars than Earth, so that is not nearly no gravity. It's still strong enough that you're not going to go hopping and skipping for yards at a time like on our moon. Anything dropping through the atmosphere without parachutes and retro rockets will drop like a rock, no pun intended.

http://www.universetoday.com/http://imgur.com/a/78ImU/gravity-on-mars/

 

[Drone]

I did some rough calculations, yeah that poor thing had 306 km/h impact speed. That final 23 seconds

 

[dorsetknob]

I did some rough calculations, yeah that poor thing had 306 km/h impact speed. That final 23 seconds

Ha just found drones pic online
ps obscene pick up messages incoming

 

[newconroer]

If there's intelligent life on MARS, and this thing comes down..are they going to be claiming to have seen a UFO or flying saucer?

 

[qubit]

Yeah, I feel frustrated at the loss of the lander too.

@Drone You have a fatal flaw in your calculations: they don't appear to be on the back of an envelope!

 

[Aquinus]

I did some rough calculations, yeah that poor thing had 306 km/h impact speed. That final 23 seconds

Time to learn LaTeX.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Given that Schiaperellis main purpose was to prove landing technologies i think it will be deemed a partial success as they have at least proved what doesnt work.....


The science package that was to operate on the surface of Mars for a short duration after landing, was only planned to last approximately 2-4 sols (Martian days).

http://exploration.esa.int/mars/47852-entry-descent-and-landing-demonstrator-module/