ExoMars - Schiaparelli landing Options

[Phil Stooke]

Starting a new topic here - hopefully that's OK! Clearly there will be a lot of action around this in the next weeks and months with descent images and HiRISE views of the hardware.

I thought I had posted this map earlier but apparently not. This shows the various landing ellipses in this area. The original plan was for an ellipse oriented NW-SE, but it changed with the different launch date and is now nearly E-W. Note that the ellipse shown in the recent ESA release is the envelope of all ellipses over a given launch period, but the actual landing ellipse for the given launch date is smaller. Opportunity's final landing ellipse is shown for comparison.

http://exploration.esa.int/mars/57445-exom...6-landing-site/

http://exploration.esa.int/mars/57446-exom...6-landing-site/

Phil

[nogal]

I had originally posted this information on another thread, but then Phil started this topic and I think it fits better here.

ESA has relased information [LINK] on Schiaparelli's intended landing site on Meridiani Planum, including the landing elipse which, at its eastern edge, just grazes the Endeavour crater. Perhaps Opportunity could spot Schiaparelli descending under its parachute on October 19?

The landing ellipse's size is given on the above mentioned article as 100x15 km, but this could be a simplification for in order to match the ellipse on this image, I had to make it 115.4x23.9 km. The ellipse is centered at 2.048S, 6.114W.

This is how it looks on Google Earth (Mars):


And here is the KMZ file:  Schiaparelli.kmz ( 19.26K ) Number of downloads: 2409


Fernando

[sittingduck]

Will Opportunity be able to image the Schiaparelli EDL? Maybe the re-entry plasma?

[James Sorenson]

Opportunity is heading down deeper into Endeavour, so I'd say that is becoming less likely because of lack of visibility of the surrounding plains and the part of sky where it is expected to be. I guess the only chance will be if the lander overshoots to the far end of its ellipse where Oppy could possibly capture the desent.

[Explorer1]

Even capturing one pixel would be a fantastic success of planning; does the MRO team have any imaging planned like the previous landers? (I'd like to update my avatar)...

[Deimos]

The nominal trajectory has the entry phase and parachute phase each potentially visible, but less than 15 deg above the level horizon. The crater will prove a challenge for even one pixel. It may be worth a bet on the EDM going well downrange--nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Ron Hobbs]

The ESA site is featuring images of the landing site. It looks to me that if Schiaparelli lands really long, Oppy might have a chance.

Meridiani Planum with Landing Ellipse

I've got my fingers crossed.

Here is the main website: Spotlight on Schiaparelli Landing Site

[akuo]

I tried to look for information about coverage of the Schiapparelli landing events and communications. Only thing mentioned seems to be that MEX will record the lander's signal for later transmission. Anyone know when that transmission would come? Any chance of following Schiapparelli live, even detection of the carrier signal with radio telescopes like was done with Huygens?

I guess I've gotten too used to Nasa lander style blow-by-blow earth receive time coverage with first pictures arriving minutes after the landing.

I assume at least the orbiter will stay in constant DSN contact during the insertion.

[Paolo]

I think you can find answers to most of your questions here:
http://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2016/03...e-theyre-going/

[Paolo]

yesterday ESA published two short articles on Schiaparelli and the expected sequence of images

http://exploration.esa.int/mars/58425-prep...o-land-on-mars/
http://exploration.esa.int/mars/58435-what...relli-s-camera/

I am starting to see other forums getting inflamed by rants about the plans for imaging or lack of it. given the minimal exoected data output of the lander (150 Mbits, of which 100 Mbits will be engineering data) I am not surprised that no proper camera was carried.

[akuo]

Thanks Paolo, that's the info I need.

To summarise:
An Indian radio telescope in Pune might detect if Schiapparelli is transmitting at all, live.
MEX and MRO will record a subset of telemetry, which could be received at 16:30 and 16:45 UTC on the landing day.
TGO will record full telemetry and it should be available 10h later, at 1:00 UTC.

[Phil Stooke]

http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/im...4P2671L6M1.html

This is a test image taken by Opportunity and downlinked only about 20 minutes before this post. It's a test for the attempt to view Schiaparelli. Good luck - uh - break a wheel! (no, don't).

Phil

[Deimos]

And context for that test image: http://www.leonarddavid.com/europe-readies...ober-touchdown/

[akuo]

With Oppy being so close, was there any consideration on having it listen to Schiapparelli on UHF during the EDL?

[climber]

Can somebody point out Victoria crater?