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ESA Lander's Signal Cut Out Just Before It Was Supposed To Land on Mars (arstechnica.com)

Posted by msmash on from the revenge-of-the-mars dept.

An anonymous reader shares an ArsTechnica report: On Wednesday, the European Space Agency sought to become the second entity to successfully land a spacecraft on Mars with its Schiaparelli lander. And everything seemed to be going swimmingly right up until the point that Schiaparelli was to touch down. The European scientists had been tracking the descent of Schiaparelli through an array of radio telescopes near Pune, India and were able to record the moment when the vehicle exited a plasma blackout. The scientists also received a signal that indicated parachute deployment. But during the critical final moments, when nine hydrazine-powered thrusters were supposed to fire to arrest Schiaparelli's descent, the signal disappeared. At that point, the European Space Agency's webcast went silent for several minutes before one of the flight directors could be heard to say, "We expected the signal to continue, but clearly it did not. We don't want to jump to conclusions."

4 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Signal Aquired by CajunArson · · Score: 5, Informative

    That's the orbiter.

    The lander is what is in question, and there's been no sign that it has been successfully acquired by the orbiter or anybody else.

    --
    AntiFA: An abbreviation for Anti First Amendment.
  2. No need to worry! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 5, Funny

    After a lengthy discussion with the ESA, I've been assured that the lander has definitely landed! On a side note, no word as to if it was a soft type landing or the usual hypersonic-impact-crater-forming type. ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  3. Re:Really? by fustakrakich · · Score: 5, Informative

    Even in the 60's the moon landings were done by computer. Could a live pilot have executed no, not with the equipment they sent, the fuel use and tolerances for error were far to small.

    I believe on Apollo 11 a human had to take over on the landing.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  4. Re:Really? by WhiplashII · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Um, no. Niel Armstrong really did fly the lunar lander. He really did run it almost totally out of fuel, because he had to avoid a huge rock. If he hadn't done that, the vehicle would have gone splat.

    By the way, the computer was completely spazzing out during the landing and was not giving good data. Fortunately it was written in a way that kept the important stuff going regardless.

    http://space.stackexchange.com...

    also

    http://www.dickgordon.com/Apol...

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