Schiaparelli thought that has already landed? – Interia

Technauka

Today, 25 November (05:05)

the analysis of data from the lander EDM Schiaparelli. The data obtained suggest that it is likely that during the descent the camera decided that… already landed.

Photograph

the Device Schiaparelli, without thermal insulation, thermal screens, at the plant of Thales Alenia Space, 2014 , press releases

on October 19, a few minutes before 17:00 CEST, on the surface of Mars was to settle the European lander EDM Schiaparelli. This car was separated from orbitera Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) three days earlier.

EDM Schiaparelli entered the atmosphere of the red Planet as planned, and the first phase of the flight after the opening of the braking parachute was held in accordance with the plan. However, for about 50 seconds before the scheduled przyziemieniem every connection was interrupted. Made soon after photos with the instruments mounted on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) – NASA probe in orbit of Mars revealed a new crater which appeared in the landing area. Around this identified entities also seen a few bright parts and dark bands, indicating that in this area could lead to an explosion in the landing module as a result of his impact with great speed to the planet’s surface, which caused to scatter the remains around the crater created.

in the ongoing investigation of the European Space Agency (ESA) in the case of circumstances in which there is loss of the lander. Recent reports indicate that one of the reasons could be the phenomenon of "saturation" of one of the sensors responsible for the correct fit, or rather, the units used for navigation inercyjnej (IMU). For saturation occurs when the sensor is forced to measure the value exceeding the range for which designed. As a result, the system receives incorrect input, if the blood oxygen saturation persists for a long time – can be summed up, giving an error about the ever-rising values. In the case of the mission Schiaparelli is considered that the sensor was subjected to carbonization for a period not to exceed one second, however it was enough time for the system considered that it may have to drop the parachute.

moreover, this was the only problem, as identified. At the same time the radar the boat – despite the fact that he collected the correct information was ignored by the on-Board computer EDM Schiaparelli. As a result, the apparatus in the course of implementation of the programme of boarding admitted that the landing had already occurred. The computer has been thus for the realization of other teams than have what happened much shorter start-up engines driving the boat and began the procedure of incorporating scientific instruments.

however, at the moment it is not known yet how big the impact on the landing was unsuccessful the software the boat, however, more attention is focused on it, instead of possible technical malfunction. It seems likely that the machine was not able to correctly interpret the incoming data. This, in turn, caused the issuance of incorrect commands during the landing and in the end, instead of a fairly soft landing (lander in the last phase of the flight was to dangle freely from a height of 2 meters), reached free fall from a height of around 2-4 km, passed the catastrophic consequences of a collision with the Martian surface.

it Was the second failure of the landing vehicle’s European on the surface of the red Planet. However, recently transmitted to Earth the images of the surface showed that the early lander Beagle 2, which was on Mars, by the way, the mission Mars Express, most likely, landed correctly, and that there is no connection to system malfunction, decaying cells – one of the panels is not turned properly or is not at all. In the result, Beagle 2, despite landing on the surface was never enough energy to be able to establish a connection with the Land or through orbitery to low Martian orbit. Until recently, more likely to considered scenario, which, unfortunately, was true for the lander Schiaparelli.

Another attempt of integration of European equipment on the surface of Mars is scheduled for 2020 ExoMars mission 2020, which will be implemented in cooperation with the Russian space Agency, which has to deliver a lander, which will be firmly on the surface of the European all-terrain vehicle.

a Bad landing Schiaparelli, however, may affect the decision on the ExoMars mission, which is already a delay on the initial assumptions about the two years (flight was scheduled in the start screen in 2018). In early December, to come before the meeting of member countries of ESA in the determination of the budget for Agency programmes on a scale of three and five years. At the same time he said that ESA would request member States to increase funding of about 300 million EUROS, which is 75% of the amount, which is missing in the planned budget, to be able to implement all intended. The remaining 100 million should come from the funds assigned in the budget that probably means a reduction or decrease in the proportion of certain space programs, although I never gave in the message.

(PFA, ESA, Tw)