The European Space Agency has turn new data about the crash of the ExoMars Schiaparelli lander . Soon after the deployment of its chute , the lander made a miscalculation so bad that it thought it was below the Martian surface , when in reality was still two mi high .
The ESA ’s investigation into the clank is far from over , but this latest revelation is paint a light picture of what happenedduring the fail landingon October 19 .
Schiaparelli deployed its parachute normally at an altitude of 7.5 miles ( 12 km ) and at a upper of 1,075 miles per hour ( 1,730 kilometre / h ) . As planned , the fomite ’s heat shield was ejected when it reached an altitude of 4.85 miles ( 7.8 klick ) . But thing went to complete diddly-shit from there .
As it was make its slow descent , Schiaparelli ’s Inertial Measurement Unit ( IMU ) went about its business of calculate the lander ’s revolution rate . For some reason , the IMU cypher a impregnation - maximum period that persisted for one second gear longer than what would normally be have a bun in the oven at this stage . When the IMU send out this phoney information to the foxiness ’s sailing system , it figure a negative altitude . In other words , it thought the lander was below earth grade . Ouch .
That portentous miscalculation arrange off a cascade of desperation , triggering the premature release of the chute and the backshell , a brief discharge of the braking thrusters , and activation of the on - footing system as if Schiaparelli had already reached the airfoil . This all happened while the fomite was still two miles ( 3.7 km ) above ground , causing a catastrophic spare descent that sent the lander plummeting downwardly at 185 mph ( 300 kilometre / h ) .
Encouragingly , this doings was replicated in computer simulations , which mean mission planners stand a secure luck of correct the anomaly . The exact suit of the IMU ’s misestimation was not disclose , but if it was tripped by some kind of mechanical problem , that would be spoilt newsworthiness . The ESA is planning a similar mission in 2020 , which does n’t go out much time for an technology overhaul . A software glitch , on the other hand , would likely prove to be an easier fix . A full report of the investigating is expect in early 2017 .
[ ESA ]
Atmospheric entryMarsScienceSpace
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