Fate of ESA’s Schiaparelli Marslander is unclear

The ESA still has no clarity about the final moments of the landing of the Mars module Schiaparelli. The space agency nevertheless calls the mission a success, because there is data from the descent and a probe has been placed in orbit around the planet.

Schiaparelli reached the surface of Mars on Wednesday, but whether it is a clean landing or a crash is still unclear. The ESA has received data from the descent showing that the lander entered the atmosphere and that the parachutes have deployed. Shortly after that moment, and about fifty seconds before the planned landing, communication stopped.

From the remaining data it can be concluded that the operation of the thrusters deviated from the simulations, but not whether the lander was crushed. Further analysis of the 600MB of data could reveal more about the fate of the so-called Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module.

The ESA emphasized in a press conference on Thursday that Schiaparelli’s intention was to obtain data on the descent in particular and that this has been successful. It is also clear that the heat shield has withstood the penetration of the atmosphere well. In addition, the organization points out that the Trace Gas Orbiter has been successfully launched into orbit around Mars. From that position, the probe, in which ESA and Russia’s Roskosmos work together, can conduct research and serve as a communications relay for the second part of the ExoMars mission.

The fate of Schiaparelli may have an influence on whether or not that second part will go ahead. In December, European ministers in Switzerland will decide on the remaining financing needed for this, an amount of 300 million dollars. If the module crashed, it wouldn’t be the first Mars setback for the ESA; in 2003, no contact could be made with the Beagle-2 lander. “Mars discoveries are difficult, that’s why we do it,” said David Parker, who heads the human spaceflight and robotic exploration division at ESA.