What happened to the Schiaparelli Mars module? "Schiaparelli" landed on Mars: is it ready for work?

The Schiaparelli probe was supposed to study the state of the atmosphere of Mars

The Schiaparelli lander crashed as it attempted to land on Mars, the European Space Agency reports.
According to the agency, the loss of the probe is confirmed by photographs taken from the planet’s orbit by American artificial satellites.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft photographed the suspected impact site of the Schiaparelli module. According to the European Space Agency, the images show that the module fell onto the surface of Mars from a higher altitude than planned, between two and four kilometers, and was likely destroyed on impact.

One of the photos (bottom left) was taken in May, the other is fresh, black spot it presumably has Schiaparelli on it.

According to ESA, the probe fell to the surface of Mars from a height of two to four kilometers and crashed. Until the pictures were taken, scientists still had hope that the probe had survived.
The Schiaparelli probe was supposed to land on Mars on October 19, but its landing did not go according to plan. It was reported that the probe shot off its reserve parachute too early and also did not use its braking engines long enough.
About 50 seconds before the probe was supposed to touch the surface, it stopped transmitting a signal. Some scientists immediately regarded this as a sign that the probe had crashed.
ESA has not yet declared the landing a failure.

A message posted on the official ESA website states that a NASA probe has discovered the proposed landing site of the module.

"Schiaparelli" fell from a height of two to four kilometers and therefore gained significant speed, over 300 kilometers per hour. It is also possible that the module exploded upon impact with the ground," the agency said in a statement.

Earlier, the European Space Agency (ESA) reported that a signal was received from the Schiaparelli module, which landed on Mars on October 19, but there was no telemetry data.

. @NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has imaged changes on #Mars surface linked
to #ExoMars @ESA_EDM https://t.co/QN4BqV7xIR pic.twitter.com/BD7XKhB1oO

ESA (@esa) October 21, 2016
The module entered the Martian atmosphere at an altitude of about 122.5 km at a speed of about 21,000 km/h. The parachute opened at an altitude of about 11 km at a speed of about 1650 km/h.

At a press conference last Thursday, the head of the ExoMars 2016 mission, Andrea Accamazzo, said that “communication with the landing module was lost 50 seconds before its landing.”
The Russian-European mission "ExoMars-2016" started on March 14, 2016 with the launch of a Proton-M launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with spacecraft as part of the TGO (Trace Gas Orbiter) orbital module and the Schiaparelli demonstration lander module.

The TGO spacecraft orbital module is designed to study trace gases in the atmosphere and the distribution of water ice in the soil of Mars. The Russian IKI RAS has prepared two instruments for TGO: the ACS spectrometric complex and the FREND neutron spectrometer.

The Schiaparelli Landing Demonstration Module was intended to test a range of technologies to enable controlled descent and landing on Mars in preparation for future missions.

On board the module was a package of scientific equipment that was expected to record wind speed, humidity, pressure and temperature during landing. The equipment was also expected to provide the first scientific data on electric fields on the surface of Mars, which, combined with studies of atmospheric dust concentrations, would provide new understanding of the role of electrical forces in the process of dust storms on this planet.

A device weighing 600 kg, manufactured mainly in Italy, in the case good landing had to do meteorological research. Its batteries would last for four days.
At the same time, European scientists are showing greater interest in the operation of the TGO orbiter, which entered Mars orbit almost simultaneously with the unsuccessful landing of Schiaparelli.
He must spend several years in orbit studying the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere - fluctuations in its composition of methane, water vapor and nitrogen oxide.
These gases may indicate the nature of tectonic and other processes occurring on Mars. They may also be an indication of the presence of organic life there.

Scientists told how the landing took place and what tasks were planned for the device

The ninth terrestrial vehicle in the history of exploration of the Red Planet, Schiaparelli, arrived on Mars - one of the components of the joint mission of Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars. This happened exactly at 17.48 Moscow time. Just a few minutes before landing, the device burst into the planet’s atmosphere at an altitude of 120 km at a speed of 5.8 km/s (21,000 km/h). MK, which monitored the landing together with scientists from the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, found out how long the spacecraft will live on the surface of the planet and what tasks it must perform.

Let us recall that the launch of the ExoMars mission took place on March 14, 2016, when, starting from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Russian Proton-M launch vehicle delivered the European Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) into orbit. On October 16, as the mission approached Mars, Schiaparelli, a small lander with a diameter of 2.4 meters, separated from TGO and set course for landing. If there were intelligent inhabitants on Mars, then on October 19, according to the earthly calendar, in the area of ​​​​a place called the Meridiani Planum, on a vast plain located 2 degrees south of the equator of Mars, they would have seen a bright object in the sky, according to looks very much like a meteorite with a trail of fire... At some point, the “meteorite” acquired the features of a real flying saucer, descending smoothly onto the Plateau under a large parachute dome...

Almost immediately after the parachute opened, the lower brake shield (front fairing) shot off the saucer, and the onboard DECA (Descent Camera) camera began taking pictures of the surface. At intervals of one and a half seconds, she was supposed to receive 15 pictures. After landing, they will be transmitted first to the module’s computer and then to Earth. Such detailed photography will allow specialists to better understand how the descent process took place and where exactly the device landed.

At a distance of 1.2 km from the surface of Mars, “Schiaparelli” “jumped out” of the protective capsule-plate at a speed of 250 km/h and began an independent flight. At that moment, nine tongues of fire (liquid low-thrust engines) flashed under it, which subsequently helped to carry out a soft landing of the module weighing 577 kg.

For agency employees, Schiaparelli, named after the outstanding Italian astronomer Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli, is the first European apparatus on Mars. Previously automatic landings Only Russians and Americans could be proud of going to Mars. The chronology is as follows: the first in the world to reach Mars was the Soviet station “Mars-3” in December 1971, then for many years the Red Planet was literally occupied by American spacecraft: “Viking-1” (1976), Viking-2 (1976), Mars Pathfinder (1997), Spirit (2004), Opportunity (2004), Phoenix (2008) and Curiosity (2012). By the way, Opportunity is now located exactly in the Schiaparelli landing area.

Landing on Mars was Schiaparelli's number one priority. Whether he coped with it fully was unknown at the time of writing (there were communication problems). If the device survives, then in the next eight days (that’s how long the module’s batteries are designed to last), it must perform a series of scientific measurements using complexes of various sensors. For example, the DREAMS complex will measure wind speeds and directions, humidity levels, pressure, surface temperatures and atmospheric transparency at the landing site. Also, for the first time in history, the DREAMS complex will measure the electric field of Mars. Schiaparelli arrived on Mars during a period of dust storms. And in this regard, scientists included in the program the study of the interaction of the electric field of Mars with dust devils. During the “life” of the module on Mars, several dozen communication sessions should take place with flying NASA and ESA satellites, which relay data from Schiaparelli to Earth. By the way, photos beautiful views There is no need to expect Mars from it - there is no special camera for this.

Now let’s return to the main vehicle of the Exo-Mars mission - TGO, which also on October 19, after separation from Schiaparelli, entered the orbit of the Red Planet for its main work for several years. Let us recall that he must contribute to the study of the surface, atmosphere and climate of Mars, as well as the search for signs of life on it. In particular, earthlings do not yet know where methane comes from in the Martian atmosphere? Is it a product of the biological activity of some living beings or the result of the volcanic activity of the planet? TGO will attempt to answer these questions.

Of the four scientific instruments available on board, there is a purely Russian neutron spectrometer FREND for searching for traces of water and ice in the soil of Mars, and a complex for studying atmospheric chemistry ACS, which, like the first, was created at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences with the participation of specialists from France and Germany and Italy.

Let us remind you that the second stage of the ExoMars project should begin in 2018, with more active participation Russia. NPO named after S.A. Lavochkin will develop a landing module for it. It will have to deliver a landing platform (also Russian-designed) and a European rover to the surface of Mars.

That the Schiaparelli probe crashed on the surface of Mars during landing. The reasons for the failure of the Russian-European mission to the Red Planet will be clarified. Lenta.ru looked into why the landing module crashed and what will happen to the ExoMars mission after that.

A quick death

Immediately after landing of the Schiaparelli module (EDM) on Mars on the evening of October 19, signal transmission to the Martian probes Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the TGO orbital module was to begin. But that did not happen.

For several hours, ESA specialists processed the data that they managed to obtain from the module before the signal was lost. It was established that the signal from Schiaparelli was cut off 50 seconds before its landing on Mars. However, even then European experts were in no hurry to finally bury the device, relying on the American Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter probe.

During the night no signals were received from Schiaparelli. Roscosmos refused to acknowledge the collapse of the Mars probe, pointing out that the module’s batteries are able to maintain its operation for 3 to 10 days. At 11:00 on October 20 Moscow time, an ESA press conference opened, at which agency representatives announced the success of the mission.

Nevertheless, the mission can only be called a success with a big stretch. Of course, the TGO probe, whose task is to study trace gases in the atmosphere and the distribution of water ice in the soil of Mars, entered orbit of the planet. However, with "Schiaparelli" there arose big problems: The probe has reached the surface, but its parachute deployment time is different than planned. Most likely, the lander crashed on the surface of Mars. However, ESA decided not to rush to conclusions and promised to reboot the Schiaparelli communication module in order to try to contact it again.

On Friday, October 21, ESA representatives officially admitted that the probe crashed on the surface of the Red Planet. This is confirmed by images obtained from the American Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. According to preliminary data, the Schiaparelli engines worked less than expected.

Entering the mode free fall at an altitude of four kilometers, the device crashed into the surface of the Red Planet at enormous speed (about three hundred kilometers per hour). Images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter suggest that the Schiaparelli exploded during its fall because its tanks were filled with fuel that the vehicle’s engines did not have time to consume.

So far, specialists only have pictures taken with a low-resolution camera. We can only wait for more detailed explanations of what happened and footage from the HiRISE high-resolution camera, which is also installed on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. In the available photographs, two dark spots can be seen - presumably this is the impact crater from the device itself and its parachute.

Big hopes

The Schiaparelli mission is part of the joint Russian-European ExoMars program. The Americans refused to participate in it. The program has two missions - the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Schiaparelli landing module. Observations from these two vehicles would serve as insurance for the Pasteur rover mission. The current failure could critically impact the launch and its subsequent operation on the Red Planet in the 2020s.

The TGO spacecraft, now operating normally, is studying the components of the Martian atmosphere using the NOMAD and ACS instruments. In addition, the probe is equipped with a CaSSIS camera, whose task is to photograph gas sources on the Red Planet. Thanks to this, scientists hope to find out whether the methane present on Mars is a product of bacterial activity (that is, evidence of the presence of life) or has a different nature. Another instrument, FREND, will search for water on the Red Planet by detecting the flow of neutrons.

The Schiaparelli module tested a soft landing system on the surface of Mars, developed without Russian participation. The test failed. It was this system that was supposed to be used on the Pasteur rover. Now it has to be modified or completely scrapped.

In addition, during descent, the module had to use temperature, pressure and heat flow sensors integrated into it. It is not yet known whether they succeeded in this, but TGO did receive some information from Schiaparelli. Already on Mars, Schiaparelli had to clarify the nature of dust storms on the Red Planet. To do this, it was supposed to measure electric fields and atmospheric dust.

“Schiaparelli” had from 2 to 10 days to do everything: this is the period the device’s batteries were designed for. Unfortunately, the hard landing destroyed the craft long before it could do anything.

The TGO science mission will launch in early 2017, when the orbital probe will pass through the upper atmosphere of Mars. It is designed to operate until 2022. The decision to launch the Pasteur rover should be made before the end of 2017.

Model of the Schiaparelli module at the Paris Air Show in 2013

Schiaparelli − the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module , abbr. Schiaparelli EDM lander or Schiaparelli) - , intended for landing on a surface within space program"ExoMars". The device was designed and manufactured by the European Space Agency.

"Schiaparelli" is integral part 2016, a. The separation of the descent module is scheduled for October 16, 2016 at 14:42 UTC during approach to Mars, before braking the orbital module to enter orbit around . Schiaparelli's landing on the surface is scheduled for October 19, 2016.

Tasks

One of the main tasks of scientific programs to Mars is the search for facts and evidence of life on the planet. The best solution for this task is landing scientific laboratories to the surface of Mars. The most important stage Such a program is a successful re-entry into the atmosphere, a controlled descent and a soft touch to the surface.

"Schiaparelli" was created to test ESA technologies for the controlled descent of vehicles to the surface of Mars. The creation of a lander within the framework of the ExoMars program provides useful experience for industry European Union and allows for experiments on new technologies that will be used in subsequent scientific programs to Mars.

Design

"Schiaparelli" is designed based on technical solutions, calculated and tested by ESA during previous ExoMars studies. The descent module contains a number of sensors that collect data on the operation of the main systems and instruments, which is the main task - checking the performance of the device and testing a soft descent to the surface of Mars. The main systems and instruments in the design of the device are: a protective casing and a heat shield, a parachute system, an on-board altimeter, propulsion system to reduce the rate of fall of the apparatus based on single-component fuel - hydrazine. The collected data from devices and sensors will be sent to for evaluation, on the basis of which the performance will either be confirmed existing systems, or changes were made to the design of subsequent European devices for the study of Mars.

Scientific equipment

On board the descent module carries the following equipment:

• DREAMS (D ust Characterization, R isk Assessment, and E environment A nalyser on the M artian S urface)- a set of instruments for measuring parameters environment on the surface of Mars. Includes devices:

• MetWind - measurement of wind speed and direction;
• DREAMS-H - humidity sensor;
• DREAMS-P - pressure sensor;
• MarsTem - temperature measurement near the surface of Mars;
• SIS (Solar Irradiance Sensor)- measurement of atmospheric transparency;
• MicroARES (Atmospheric Radiation and Electricity Sensor)- measurement of electric fields.

• AMELIA (A tmospheric M ars E ntry and L anding I investigations and A nalysis)- telemetry sensors and service systems. Collection of data from entry into the Martian atmosphere (~130 km) until completion of the landing of the vehicle. Using the data obtained to study the atmosphere and surface of Mars.
• COMARS+ (Com bined A erothermal and R adiometer S sensors Instrument Package)- a device with three combined sensors and a broadband radiometer for measuring pressure, temperature and heat flows on the back of the capsule of the descent vehicle during aerodynamic braking and parachute descent in the Martian atmosphere.
• DECA (De scent Ca mera)- a television camera for filming the landing site as the Schiaparelli approaches the surface, as well as obtaining data on the transparency of the atmosphere. It is planned to obtain 15 monochrome images to identify the exact place where the device touched the surface.
• INRRI (In instrument for landing - R oving Laser R etroreflector I investigations)- corner reflector for determining the location of Schiaparelli using a lidar located on artificial satellite Mars.

Chronicle of the program

The time from the descent vehicle's entry into the atmosphere until it touches the surface of Mars will take less than 6 minutes.

Schiaparelli is scheduled to separate from the main orbital module on October 16, 2016 at 14:42 UTC, three days before its planned landing on the surface of Mars. 12 hours after separation, the main orbital module will correct its orbit to prevent falling onto the planet after the descent module.

On October 19, Schiaparelli will enter the Martian atmosphere at an altitude of approximately 121 km from the surface at a speed of 21,000 km/h. Within 3-4 minutes, the speed of the device will decrease through aerodynamic braking - friction against dense layers of the atmosphere. The frontal part of the protective casing with a heat shield will prevent overheating of the vehicle; the screen will slowly melt and evaporate, carrying away the absorbed heat from the main part of the descent vehicle.

When the vehicle's speed decreases to 1,700 km/h, at an altitude of 11 km above the surface, Schiaparelli will deploy a parachute to further reduce the speed of descent. The canopy of the parachute with a diameter of 12 meters will unfold in less than a second, and after 40 seconds, during which the rocking of the device will decrease and stop, the frontal part of the protective casing with the heat shield will be dropped.

When the parachute reduces the speed of the Schiaparelli to 250 km/h, the rear part of the protective casing of the device, along with the parachute system, will be jettisoned. After this, the device will turn on the on-board altimeter and three rocket engines running on single-component hydrazine fuel for a final controlled reduction in the descent speed. The on-board altimeter will constantly measure the distance to the planet's surface. At a height of about 2 meters, "Schiaparelli" will hover on a short time, then turns off the engines and falls to the ground.

The device will land at a speed of a couple of meters per second. The landing will be relatively hard, but the entire shock load will be absorbed by a collapsible structural element on the underside of the device, preventing damage. It is allowed to have stones 40 cm high at the planting site, and the slope of the surface can be up to 12 5°.

On October 19, Schiaparelli will land on the Meridiani Plateau - a relatively smooth plain, inside a landing ellipse stretching 100 km from east to west and 15 km from north to south. The coordinates of the center of the ellipse are 6° W, 2° S. The Schiaparelli landing site is located approximately 40 km northwest of the 2004 Plateau Meridiani landing site.

Communication with the Schiaparelli lander was lost during its landing on Mars, while its partner in the program, the Trace Gas Orbiter, successfully took the assigned orbit. This is a summary of the news reported by the European Space Agency at a press conference on the ExoMars program.

© ESA/ATG medialab

Let us remind you that Schiaparelli and Trace Gas Orbiter are carrying out the first stage of the research program adopted by ESA and Roscosmos and must prepare information for the implementation of the second stage - the landing of a large rover on the planet, which is planned for 2020. On October 16, the devices separated from each other, and Schiaparelli began its approach to Mars. The purpose of his flight was to conduct a soft landing on the surface of the planet, while studying the atmospheric conditions of Mars.

© ESA–D. Ducros

The landing took place on October 19. Before this, ESA representatives expressed confidence that it would go smoothly. Michel Denis, ExoMars mission director, even joked that Schiaparelli's descent would be six minutes of calm anticipation, as opposed to the "seven minutes of terror" that Curiosity once described its descent to Mars in 2012. But apparently, not everything went as they expected.

The descent program included several stages. During the first braking when entering the atmosphere, the Schiaparelli apparatus had to be protected by a special heat shield. Then, at an altitude of 11 kilometers, the parachute was supposed to open, the small jet engines to slow down the vehicle and, finally, upon contact with the Martian surface, a special platform must absorb the force of the impact.

The deviation from the planned scenario occurred after the moment at which the parachute deployment was planned. Orbiter ESA's Mars Express, which tracked Schiaparelli's descent, measured its speed, and it was higher than predicted by preliminary calculations. The signal coming from Schiaparelli disappeared 50 seconds before the estimated time. Therefore, what happened to him at the very last stage decline and in what condition it landed on Mars remains unknown.

The Schiaparelli battery charge was designed for several days of operation on the surface of Mars. Therefore, experts do not lose hope of contacting him. A few hours after landing, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter passed over the area of ​​Mars where Schiaparelli is located. A communication session with the descent module was planned, but communication was not established.

Scientists developing the rover, which is due to send to Mars in 2020, say the failure of Schiaparelli will affect their mission, but not in a drastic way. The dispatch of the rover will not be cancelled, but certain changes will definitely be made to the project. As planetary scientist Olivier Witasse said, they will be aimed specifically at improving landing technology, which will not repeat the same Schiaparelli landing scenario. Research Institute Fellow solar system Max Planck Society Norbert Krupp said that the Schiaparelli mission was not even a failure, as it would help ensure success in the next phase of the project.

Scientists managed to obtain at least part of the data that Schiaparelli was supposed to collect during its descent. But this is much less than they expected. Francesca Esposito from the Capodimonte Observatory says that, for example, no information has been obtained about the influence of electric fields in the atmosphere of Mars on its dust storms. Francesca Ferri of the University of Padua said her team was able to obtain only part of the information from the Schiaparelli sensors about the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, but important data about the layer close to the surface, where convection plays a special role, remained unavailable. “This is space. He doesn’t cooperate,” Francesca Esposito commented on these events.

The European Space Agency is still trying to find out what happened to Schiaparelli. In addition to trying to catch its signal with one of the three devices currently in orbit above Mars, they plan to take pictures of the landing site from orbit. Also, the Opportunity rover, which is located only 15 kilometers from the proposed landing zone, was supposed to film the Schiaparelli descent process. Based on how successful this was, it will be possible to understand how accurately the calculated descent trajectory was followed.