ExoMars update: Schiaparelli probe's parachute malfunctioned The status of the Schiaparelli probe remains uncertain, leaving scientists at the European Space Agency baffled after the lander’s signal cut out unexpectedly. At a press conference this morning, ESA’s Director General, Johann-Dietrich Wörner, said the agency has not explicitly ruled the landing process as a fail, and is in …
Even getting there is an amazing achievement, so I hope the coulda/shoulda/woulda naysayers out there really have a good look at what was achieved compared to what was not achieved. There is nothing here on earth that is comparable to a mission to mars - no not even a mission to the ocean depths as there will be a cable to pull you back up.
Getting to mars is a success, not landing is a disappointment.
This *was* the test for the actual payload (rover) in 2020 under the correct conditions. Pretty tough to simulate the journey with nasty conditions plus the atmospheric conditions during the descent, right? I am sure they tested the rocket engines on Earth, and the computer systems as well.
It is disappointing, but hey, it made it there - and the Schiaparelli impactor was i) budged on last minute and ii) really just a test platform. It would have given interesting data on martian storms, though!
>they could have shot it off the bottom of a plane, using some gas, like an ejector seat, 1 fail in a 100 and its time to redesign<
Firstly, I think they'd be very happy with a success rate much, much lower than 99%...
Secondly, testing in Earth atmosphere at any speed, especially after not enduring the months of travel in vacuum, is hardly a comparable test.
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