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That's unfair. Schiaparelli was never a science mission. It was a technology demonstrator to see whether the landing system worked. Even if it had landed intac

That's unfair. Schiaparelli was never a science mission. It was a technology demonstrator to see whether the landing system worked. Even if it had landed intact, it had a tiny set of science instruments and would only have lasted a few hours. Well, we now know that there are a few bugs --- but we also know that most of the landing system works, including hibernation, terminal guidance, reentry, heatshield deployment, the parachute... all of which is hugely valuable data. Knowing that the last few stages didn't work is even more valuable, particularly as it's returned telemetry on what happened. Focusing only on the fact that the last couple of steps failed and it crashed is doing the mission a huge disservice. Schiaparelli did precisely the job it was designed for.

forketta 10y ago
Schiaparelli, the ExoMars Entry, descent and landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) will provide Europe with the technology for landing on the surface of Mars with a controlled landing orientation and touchdown velocity. The design of Schiaparelli maximises the use of technologies already in development within the ExoMars programme. These technologies include: special material for thermal protection, a parachute system, a radar Doppler altimeter system, and a final braking system controlled by liquid propulsion. Schiaparelli is expected to survive on the surface of Mars for a short time by using the excess energy capacity of its batteries. http://exploration.esa.int/mars/46124-mission-overview/ http://exploration.esa.int/mars/46124-mission-overview/
rm445 10y ago
Come on. All the people who worked on those features designed them with the intention that they would work. All of them would have been happier, and better regarded by the rest of the world, if everything had worked first time. It's just the way life is. Not every setback is a disaster, but it's so much better if things work smoothly. Nothing succeeds like success.
deleted 10y ago
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sfifs 10y ago
It's important in science to not sugar coat scientific conclusions as you might sugar coat PR communications (ie. how can we present this in the best light to get funding for the next trip) The objective was to demonstrate an ability to land in a useful condition so the next probe could land with experiments using this technology. Everything else is an in-process metric. The probe crashed and didn't land.

forketta 10y ago

Schiaparelli, the ExoMars Entry, descent and landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) will provide Europe with the technology for landing on the surface of Mars with a controlled landing orientation and touchdown velocity. The design of Schiaparelli maximises the use of technologies already in development within the ExoMars programme. These technologies include: special material for thermal protection, a parachute system, a radar Doppler altimeter system, and a final braking system controlled by liquid propulsion. Schiaparelli is expected to survive on the surface of Mars for a short time by using the excess energy capacity of its batteries. http://exploration.esa.int/mars/46124-mission-overview/ http://exploration.esa.int/mars/46124-mission-overview/

rm445 10y ago

Come on. All the people who worked on those features designed them with the intention that they would work. All of them would have been happier, and better regarded by the rest of the world, if everything had worked first time. It's just the way life is. Not every setback is a disaster, but it's so much better if things work smoothly. Nothing succeeds like success.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

sfifs 10y ago

It's important in science to not sugar coat scientific conclusions as you might sugar coat PR communications (ie. how can we present this in the best light to get funding for the next trip) The objective was to demonstrate an ability to land in a useful condition so the next probe could land with experiments using this technology. Everything else is an in-process metric. The probe crashed and didn't land.