Giant parachute responsible for landing 310-kg rover on Mars tested
The Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover. (Photo: ESA)
'This is the largest parachute ever designed for a Mars landing, and we've now confirmed it works,' said Luca Ferracina, system engineer for ESA's ExoMars Entry, Descent, and Landing Module. 'We've taken one big step closer to delivering the Rosalind Franklin rover safely to the Red Planet.'Landing on Mars is notoriously difficult. Within just six minutes, spacecraft must slow from 21,000 km/h to a complete stop on the surface.The ExoMars system uses a thermal shield, followed by two main parachutes, each extracted by its own pilot chute, and retro-rockets that fire just 20 seconds before touchdown.The first parachute, 15 meters wide, slows the vehicle through supersonic speeds. The second, an immense 35-meter canopy, the largest ever destined for another planet, ensures a soft landing.Both chutes are built from lightweight materials and pack into compact 'doughnut' bags, with folding taking three days to ensure perfect deployment.
Graphic: ESA
Originally qualified for flight in 2021, the parachute assembly was stored when the ExoMars mission was suspended due to the war in Ukraine. The Swedish test was designed to validate its performance after prolonged storage.Telemetry and high-speed video from the test will now be analyzed by UK company Vorticity, which leads parachute design and testing."This test confirms our parachute system is mission-ready," said Vorticity engineer John Underwood. "And it's poised to help Europe land safely on Mars for the first time."ExoMars is aiming for launch later this decade, carrying Europe's best hope for detecting signs of past Martian life.- EndsTrending Reel
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