Schiaparelli Probe Likely Crash-Landed on Mars, Photos Show
NASA photos show two new markings on the surface of the red planet.
— -- The Schiaparelli probe that was supposed to land on Mars Wednesday may have exploded prior to reaching the planet's surface, the European Space Agency said today.
Photos taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal two new black spots on the surface of the red planet near the designated landing site for the European-Russian module.
The ESA lost contact with the Schiaparelli probe shortly after it entered Mars' atmosphere. The ESA said it is still analyzing data in order to understand what went wrong. The Trace Gas Orbiter that the ESA sent along with the Schiaparelli probe, however, has successfully entered orbit around the red planet.
NASA's MRO snapped the photos yesterday of the site where the Schiaparelli probe was supposed to land and released the images today. The photos feature two new markings on the surface of the planet when compared to an image of the same area taken in May.
NASA said in a statement on its website accompanying the photos that one of the spots is likely the lander's parachute, which was deployed and released during the probe's descent, and the larger black spot was likely the lander itself.
The ESA said in a statement that the markings indicate that the lander most likely hit the surface of the planet "at a considerable speed."
"It is also possible that the lander exploded on impact, as its thruster propellant tanks were likely still full. These preliminary interpretations will be refined following further analysis," the ESA added.
The lander and orbiter were a part of ExoMars, a joint mission between the European Space Agency and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, that has the main goal of exploring "whether life has ever existed on Mars," according to the ESA.
The lander was intended to "test key technologies" in preparation for future Mars missions. Meanwhile, the orbiter's mission is to search for evidence of methane and other atmospheric gases that could indicate whether there was ever -- or is -- life on Mars, according to the ESA.
