The Dear Utol: Catfish Episode 46European Space Agency (ESA) finally has a better idea of what caused its ill-fated Mars lander to crash-land on the Red Planet in October.
It looks like the Schiaparelli lander -- part of the joint alien life-hunting ExoMars mission between the ESA and Russia -- crashed into the surface of Mars due to a glitch in its navigation system.
The ins and outs of the issue that doomed that lander are complicated, but basically, as Schiaparelli was coming in for touchdown its navigation computer miscalculated its altitude, leading the onboard computer to think that the lander was already safe and on the ground.
SEE ALSO: Wednesday's Mars landing could put Europe on the Martian mapThat miscalculation triggered the jettisoning of the lander's parachute and backshell plus the brief firing of its "braking thrusters."
The lander was still about 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) above Mars when this happened. So, while that series of events would have been great if the lander were closer to the surface, it instead led to the lander creating a new crater on the red planet.
“This is still a very preliminary conclusion of our technical investigations,” David Parker, ESA’s director of human spaceflight and robotic exploration, said in a statement. “The full picture will be provided in early 2017 by the future report of an external independent inquiry board, which is now being set up."
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Although the lander didn't make it safely to the Martian surface, engineers working with the mission are still happy with the data collected during the spacecraft's descent.
The Schiaparelli was launched to test technology needed to send a larger payload to Mars at some point in the not-too-distant future.
The ESA and Russia are planning to launch another ExoMars mission -- which will include a rover to hunt for signs of life on the Red Planet -- four years from now.
"We will have learned much from Schiaparelli that will directly contribute to the second ExoMars mission being developed with our international partners for launch in 2020," Parker said.
While Schiaparelli didn't make it to the planet's surface intact, its companion spacecraft -- the Trace Gas Orbiter -- is now in orbit around Mars and gathering data about the planet's atmosphere.
The ExoMars missions are designed to hunt for any signs of past or current life on Mars. The thinking goes that if life did exist on the red world, it would have left behind some trace of itself, either in the form of methane or another gas in the atmosphere or some sign on the planet's surface.
Keeping Hope Alive
And Alexander Wept by Anthony Madrid
I've used iPhone 15 Pro Max for 2 months: 5 game
Mickey Mouse is finally, kind of, becoming public domain
SpaceX's Starlink will provide free satellite internet to families in Texas school district
Staff Picks: Menace, Machines, and Muhammad Ali by The Paris Review
And Alexander Wept by Anthony Madrid
The Envelope by Jill Talbot
Best vacuum mop combo deal: Save $140 on the Tineco Floor One S5
5 rumored tech dropping in 2024
Bomb Envy
Inside Jack Youngerman’s Studio by Cornelia Channing
How to watch Gophers vs. BGSU football livestreams: kickoff time, streaming deals, and more
Louisville vs. USC livestream: Holiday Bowl kickoff time, streaming deals, and more
Contingent No More
The Rooms by Jill Talbot
25 best TV comedies on Max right now
Whiting Awards 2020: Ling Ma, Fiction
No Time for a Negative Peace
Influencers in Islamabad by Sanam Maher
Why is it so hard for seniors to find suitable sex toys?Dutch people are sharing terrifying storm footage from the NetherlandsUnlucky sister faces our biggest fear when a roach lands on her mouthNo, you're probably not about to blow a 'sneeze hole' in your throatPaul Bettany reportedly the new Prince Philip in 'The Crown' Season 3Microsoft announces release date for 'Age of Empires: Definitive Edition''Star Wars: The Last Jedi' gets fan edit removing the menGovernment shutdown: You'll still get NOAA weather warningsWhat we can learn about sex and power from the #MeToo backlashCringe your way through this r/relationships post about cryptocurrencyInstagram Stories secretly testing 'Type' feature for written storiesNintendo Labo is a new DIY way to play games on the SwitchNorwegian Air flies from NYC to UK in record time due to raging windsInstagram Stories secretly testing 'Type' feature for written storiesQuit everything, 'Chicken nugget tasteTimothée Chalamet was reportedly wrong about contract silencing him on Woody AllenTrump struck net neutrality down — and kickstarted the movement that will save itLady returns sandwich because apparently it wasn't cut equallyWhy is it so hard for seniors to find suitable sex toys?'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' mobile game enrolls you in a virtual wizarding school A casting announcement led to upset over TV's lack of diverse romance Lyft hits the stock market, sells shares for $72 in highly anticipated IPO 16 April Fools' Day pranks to play on your significant other Apple's AirPower is canceled, but at least we have these memes Discovery Channel and BBC Studios announce new streaming service Everything you need to remember from Season 6 of 'Game of Thrones' Apple's AirPower fail is an unprecedented embarrassment Best and worst April Fools jokes from big tech companies in 2019 The r/Games subreddit is closed to make users rethink spreading hate Fashion ecommerce star pranks Facebook in the name of tech education Watch Beyoncé and Jay What is going on with Lindsay Lohan's bizarre accent? He's with her: How to address Bill Clinton if Hillary wins You can play 'Snake' in the Google Maps app Facebook will give you more info about why certain posts show up in your News Feed Dbrand to sell AirPower skins because heck, why not Twitter users question the timing of a new FBI document dump Google says its Files app can now actually clean your phone's screen 'Sekiro' and 'Yoshi' exemplify a perfect duality in video games Tom Brady's April Fools' Day prank sucks
2.2803s , 10131.640625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Dear Utol: Catfish Episode 46】,Information Information Network