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http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37898565
Attention is focussed on how the probe interpreted sensor readings during its ill-fated descent to the Red Planet. Schiaparelli's parachute and rocket system did not behave as expected. The former was jettisoned too early and the latter fired for too short a period.
"The onboard computer had some problems taking data from different sources, and defining correctly the altitude; and because of that the engines were started for only three seconds which was not enough," explained Prof Jan Woerner. "When the parachute was deployed, it worked. But then some acceleration happened that we do not understand. Was it that the parachute did not deploy fully? We do not know."
The ESA is asking for 11 billion euros from 22 member nations for upcoming space missions. ESA is an international organization that is not a part of the EU, so Brexit is not expected to affect the UK's participation.
Color photographs of the "landing".
(Score: 3, Interesting) by VLM on Tuesday November 08 2016, @12:28PM
I wonder if they continue imaging for weeks / months / years if they'll learn anything about the atmosphere and weather from the scorch marks.
Shouldn't be hard to generate a model of the scorch marks on the earth.
They already saw the parachute move presumably from the wind (or maybe curious martians) so maybe they'll see dust slowly cover the scorch marks or whatever.
Its not the science lab they wanted to run, but they can still squeeze some data out of it anyway.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08 2016, @04:07PM
Besides from government agency alleged "Earth from space" pictures, there is zero proof that the Earth is a spinning ball, lost in the vastness of endless space.
In fact, there is compelling evidence that the surface of the Earth not only is flat as far as eye and instrument can see, but it is also stationary: all you need do is look instead of Google.
The ESA is asking for 11 billion euros from 22 member nations for upcoming space missions.
Of course it does: only ESA knows better than their NASA counterpart, and understands that at the age of megapixels it will be impossible to keep up a convincing hoax. Instead, let's "ditch" the "space probe" made of Unobtainium (a substance known to resist the Solar radiation which otherwise melts known alloys even at the NASA quoted distance from the Sun), say how sorry and devastated you are, and use the perfect excuse to maintain an ad-infinitum black hole where money disappears.
Its not the science lab they wanted to run, but they can still squeeze some data out of it anyway.
Exactly the kind of thinking this hoax relies on.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday November 08 2016, @05:12PM
It's Satan right? He's behind NASA, the Freemasons, and the conspiracy that the Earth is round, right? Even though God has never shown the slightest interest in whether we believe the Earth is round or flat, that belief turns out to be one of the things you need punched on your ticket in order to enter Heaven, right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @02:34PM
It's Satan right?
You sound almost desperate to hear a "yes, yes this is so," as the answer to your question: perhaps because this is the only way you can think of to finally dismiss all this "flat Earth nonsense" as "religious nonsense", which --from your point of view-- is one of those well-established nonsenses that it is safe to ignore.
But evidence about the impossibility of the Earth being a spinning globe keeps piling up, as does evidence of NASA (and other "space" agency) image manipulation. So a part of you can tell something's up, and another is terrified about the possibility of what that "up" may turn out to be and what it means for you up so far interpretation of the world.
To answer to your question, how do I even know what Satan is. So no, I don't know if "it is Satan" per se, or Saturn, or Apollo, or Loke, all of them or some other Other, but it might as well be: after all, Satan's greatest feat is convincing the world that he does not exist- how you rationalize this --or not-- is entirely up to you: if you detest the notion of the supernatural, then Satan becomes an alien and Djinn become UFOs. Not a problem, since the result is the same: you get your satisfying explanations that fit with your previous satisfying explanations, just on the fringe of "explainable physics" but still within, and Satan gets to be an "alien". And everybody is happy, as Satan can still eat your face (if he exists)
that belief turns out to be one of the things you need punched on your ticket in order to enter Heaven, right?
No, this cannot be the case, as you are implying that you will be judged and held accountable for something that you do not know. Judging you based on what your current knowledge base is makes sense; judging you on what you could have known but did not (f.i. because you prefer writing long responses in internet threads instead of setting up physical telescopes and observing the horizon) does not make as much sense.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08 2016, @05:12PM
The opportunities are probably pretty limited. If I recall correctly, they were landing in high dust storm season, which would tend to smear out the surface scarring, and I don't know what the overhead imaging revisit time is, but I don't think they can get good pictures at a decent temporal cadence.