ESA Fires 20 ExoMars Test Capsules at 2,600 mph for 2028 Mars Landing
Updated
Updated · Space.com · May 11
ESA Fires 20 ExoMars Test Capsules at 2,600 mph for 2028 Mars Landing
2 articles · Updated · Space.com · May 11
Twenty 3-inch ExoMars capsule models were fired from a bore gun at more than 2,600 mph to simulate the aerodynamics of a supersonic descent through Mars' atmosphere.
Each miniature capsule carried electronics during a roughly 755-foot flight, capturing data on acceleration, movement, trajectory and stability for ESA's Entry Descent and Landing Module.
The tests pushed the models to nearly 17,000 g, helping ESA verify that the landing system can protect the Rosalind Franklin rover during its plunge to the Martian surface.
The EDLM is being developed for ExoMars' planned 2028 launch, when Rosalind Franklin is set to begin searching Mars for signs of ancient life.
With NASA providing critical landing tech, how independent is Europe's new Mars lander from American hardware?
As ESA plans its 2030 landing, can SpaceX's delayed Starship still deliver cargo to Mars first?
How will recent discoveries of Martian oceans alter the Rosalind Franklin rover's drilling strategy for finding life?