ExoMars In Photos: Schiaparelli Probe's Mars Landing Day

Schiaparelli signals reach Indian telescope

ESA/P. Shlyaev

ESA officials observe the wake-up signal received from Schiaparelli via India's Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) as Schiaparelli woke up before descending to the surface of Mars.

Schiaparelli model

ESA/P. Shlyaev

This photo taken Oct. 18 at ESA's mission control center in Darmstadt, Germany shows a replica of the ExoMars Schiaparelli lander.

Where is Schiaparelli?

ESA/IRSPS/TAS-I

Schiaparelli touched down on Meridiani Planum, a relatively smooth, flat region on Mars, on October 19, 2016. The lowest areas of elevation on this map are shown in green, while the highest areas are dark brown. The large crater on the right (East) of the image is Endeavour, which is about 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. NASA's Opportunity rover has been studying its western rim since 2011.

Schiaparelli on Mars

ESA/ATG medialab

This image is an artist's impression of the Schiaparelli spacecraft on the surface of Mars.

ExoMars 2016 Orbiter drops Schiaparelli off at Mars

ESA/ATG medialab

An artist's illustration of the ExoMars 2016 Schiaparelli lander (right) separating from its Trace Gas Orbiter mothership on Oct. 16, 2016 ahead of a planned Oct. 19 landing. The orbiter will stay in orbit around Mars after the drop-off.

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Scientific Instruments

ESA

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will investigate atmospheric gases on Mars that are present in small concentrations (less than 1% of the atmosphere). Scientific instruments onboard the Orbiter include an infrared radiometer to detect chemicals, dust and water vapor, along with spectrometers able to detect elements at trace levels (MATMOS and NOMAD). A stereo imaging camera (HiSCI) and a wide-angle multi-spectral camera (MAGIE) will provide images of the planet’s surface.

Schiaparelli's configuration

Thales Alenia Space-Italy

The Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) configuration with a transparent view of the heatshield, showing the internal accommodation of the EDM surface platform.

ExoMars' Schiaparelli Lander Model Tests

B. Bethge/ESA

A model of ExoMars' Schiaparelli lander prepares for thermal tests in Cannes, France.

Schiaparelli's parachute

ESA/S. Muihead

The European Space agency revealed a full-size model of the ExoMars entry, descent and landing module, Schiaparelli.

EXOMARS 2016 Spacecraft Encapsulated

B. Bethge/ESA

ExoMars 2016 spacecraft composite underwent encapsulation within the launcher fairing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 2, 2016.

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Hanneke Weitering
Contributing expert

Hanneke Weitering is a multimedia journalist in the Pacific Northwest reporting on the future of aviation at FutureFlight.aero and Aviation International News and was previously the Editor for Spaceflight and Astronomy news here at Space.com. As an editor with over 10 years of experience in science journalism she has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy. She currently lives in Seattle, home of the Space Needle, with her cat and two snakes. In her spare time, Hanneke enjoys exploring the Rocky Mountains, basking in nature and looking for dark skies to gaze at the cosmos.