\n<\/p>\n
A\u00a0large\u00a0boulder, a\u00a0treacherous\u00a0crater or a\u00a0gust of wind could jeopardise a smooth landing on Mars. Before the\u00a0ExoMars\u00a0Rosalind Franklin rover mission\u00a0launches\u00a0for the Red Planet in 2028,\u00a0a\u00a0replica\u00a0of the\u00a0landing platform\u00a0went through worst-case\u00a0touchdown conditions \u2013 and survived.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thinking of every\u00a0possible landing\u00a0scenario,\u00a0European engineers\u00a0dropped\u00a0a full-scale model\u00a0onto a sled\u00a0to test its stability in case\u00a0the spacecraft touched down at an angle.\u00a0A\u00a0magnetic sledge\u00a0released the lander\u00a0at\u00a0varying\u00a0speeds\u00a0\u2013 up to four\u00a0metres\u00a0per second \u2013on a platform tilted\u00a0at\u00a020\u00a0degrees.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In every\u00a0test, the four legs\u00a0of the descent module\u00a0absorbed\u00a0the impact.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
These\u00a0sled-based tests were the final series of the\u00a0landing platform\u00a0drop test campaign\u00a0conducted\u00a0at the ALTEC facilities in Turin, Italy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis campaign\u00a0proves how robust\u00a0the ExoMars landing system\u00a0is. The tests delivered critical data on\u00a0the platform\u2019s\u00a0stability under\u00a0challenging\u00a0conditions,\u00a0and\u00a0on\u00a0the ability of\u00a0its\u00a0legs to\u00a0cope with a harsh\u00a0touchdown,\u201d says Pietro Baglioni,\u00a0ExoMars\u00a0rover\u00a0team\u00a0leader for the Rosalind Franklin mission.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The campaign\u00a0also\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0the\u00a0performance of the touchdown sensors, a\u00a0critical detection\u00a0function that\u00a0automatically\u00a0shut downs\u00a0the engines\u00a0upon landing.\u00a0Installed\u00a0in all four legs\u00a0of the descent module, the sensors\u00a0detect when the spacecraft approaches the surface and trigger engine\u00a0shutdown. If the sensors\u00a0are\u00a0too\u00a0slow\u00a0to communicate with the propulsion system, the rocket plumes could blast\u00a0martian\u00a0soil upwards,\u00a0potentially\u00a0damaging and overturning\u00a0the\u00a0spacecraft.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make sure that we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0tip\u00a0over at\u00a0landing.\u00a0These results are fundamental to increasing\u00a0confidence in the reliability of the ExoMars landing sequence,\u201d\u00a0Pietro\u00a0adds.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teams from\u00a0Thales Alenia Space and Airbus\u00a0are using the results from this campaign to feed\u00a0computer\u00a0models\u00a0that\u00a0simulate\u00a0further\u00a0landing scenarios on Mars.\u00a0The Rosalind Franklin\u00a0rover\u00a0mission is set to arrive\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0martian\u00a0surface in 2030.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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