More parachute problems for Europe’s Franklin Mars rover
During a parachute drop test in late June, following a redesign of the parachute with U.S. help, engineers for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Mars rover found the chute still experienced problems that tore it during deployment.
They actually performed two drop tests, a day apart, using two different parachutes, with the first test apparently going off without a hitch. However, according to the press release:
“The performance of the second main parachute was not perfect but much improved thanks to the adjustments made to the bag and canopy. After a smooth extraction from the bag, we experienced an unexpected detachment of the pilot chute during final inflation. This likely means that the main parachute canopy suffered extra pressure in certain parts. This created a tear that was contained by a Kevlar reinforcement ring. Despite that, it fulfilled its expected deceleration and the descent module was recovered in good state.”
I have embedded below the fold the only video released by the European Space Agency. It is not clear whether this is from the first or second test. Near the end it appears that the pilot chute above the main chute might be separated, but the video ends before that can be confirmed.
Though ESA has apparently improved the chute’s performance significantly since its earlier failures that contributed to the delay of ExoMars from last year to 2022, they still haven’t gotten the chute completely right. Fortunately they still have time to get it fixed before that ’22 launch.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
During a parachute drop test in late June, following a redesign of the parachute with U.S. help, engineers for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Mars rover found the chute still experienced problems that tore it during deployment.
They actually performed two drop tests, a day apart, using two different parachutes, with the first test apparently going off without a hitch. However, according to the press release:
“The performance of the second main parachute was not perfect but much improved thanks to the adjustments made to the bag and canopy. After a smooth extraction from the bag, we experienced an unexpected detachment of the pilot chute during final inflation. This likely means that the main parachute canopy suffered extra pressure in certain parts. This created a tear that was contained by a Kevlar reinforcement ring. Despite that, it fulfilled its expected deceleration and the descent module was recovered in good state.”
I have embedded below the fold the only video released by the European Space Agency. It is not clear whether this is from the first or second test. Near the end it appears that the pilot chute above the main chute might be separated, but the video ends before that can be confirmed.
Though ESA has apparently improved the chute’s performance significantly since its earlier failures that contributed to the delay of ExoMars from last year to 2022, they still haven’t gotten the chute completely right. Fortunately they still have time to get it fixed before that ’22 launch.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
It makes me scratch my head that space agencies, especially NASA and ESA don’t share mutually beneficial tech such as landing parachutes for Mars. I know that NASA has been helping out with the testing of ESA’s parachute, but surely there is a person or team there that could point out the problems?
I don’t have a huge amount of faith in ESA’s ability to land and operate successfully a rover on Mars, it’s one more along with the James Webb on my “hope for the best…) List
I appreciate Lee Stevenson’s concern, but there are two factors that mitigate sharing expertise:
1. Pride
2. The real factor that the development experience gained is a significant benefit of designing and testing a née system, regardless of the system-specific knowledge gained.
@Ray Van Dune, I have no doubt you are correct on the first point. As I have mentioned here before, I remember seeing a TV program, well over a decade ago, when Steve Squires went and had a look at the Exomars rover being built, and asked if he had any advice, he said 6 wheel steering had got spirit and opportunity out of many a sticky situation. The Exomars rover still has only front and back steering wheels. The middle set are fixed…. I guess time will tell who was right, but I won’t bet against Steve.
As to your second point, surely shared experience is beneficial to all? Not just to share technology, but to share the research behind it. I don’t mean to make light of what is a genuinely difficult problem, but the US has landing on Mars nailed… Why doesn’t the ESA ask the US to design and build a parachute for them? We could even send you some genuinely tasty cheese and wine in return! ;-)
Pride may be preventing the ESA team from easily accepting shared experiences, but I think that the real problem stems from the fact that parachute technology is not as well understood as most people believe. ExoMars is using a new design, and the tried and true methods have not worked out as well as expected.
This is why there is such extensive testing and so much trouble with new parachute designs (even on Starliner) but not as extensive testing or trouble with, for instance, new pressure vessel designs. (Even pressure vessels can be problematic. I have worked with a couple of vacuum chambers that needed C-clamps to hold the doors closed during initial pump down.)
@Edward42, an interesting tangent! I would have imagined that doors on a vacuum chamber would self seal… I am intrigued! Would you be willing to share more information?