The reason why the European lander suffered from an unfortunate crash on the surface of Mars on October 19 is due to a one-second glitch, according to the European Space Agency.

Like Us on Facebook

ESA's Trace Gas Orbiter deployed the Schiaparelli lander and had miscalculated, as the parachutes of the lander prematurely launched at an altitude of 3.7 kilometers from the surface of Mars. The probe mistakenly released the lander earlier causing it to crash and explode on Mars.  

According to ESA's Director of Human Spaceflight and Robot Exploration, David Parker, this is the initial conclusion of technical investigations. By early 2017, this glitch along with the entire scenario will be brought to light in a report by an external independent inquiry board per request of the ESA Director General and the Inspector General.

The Schiaparelli lander was a crucial part of the ESA ExoMars mission. Its mission was to explore and search for signs of life on the otherwise dry alien world. The lander was designed to test and explore Martian atmospheric conditions, and how it affects descent, entry, and touchdown. The Trace Gas Orbiter was carrying the lander. Both launched from Earth last March. Despite this glitch, another lander is slated to be launched for the ExoMars mission in 2020.

Parker says that the agency has gained important data about this one-second glitch that caused the Schiaparelli lander crash, which will directly contribute to the second ExoMars lander mission for the launch in 2020.

According to the president of Italy's ASI space agency, Roberto Battiston, ExoMars is a pivotal part in European scientific exploration. All the participating nations of the program are working towards the successful completion of the second stage of the ExoMars mission in 2020.

To date, ESA's Trace Gas Orbiter continues to operate and scan the Red Planet - particularly its atmosphere. The orbiter's mission is to obtain measurements based on atmospheric conditions of the dry planet and to detect and analyze radiation, neutrons, and methane gas. Despite this, the Schiaparelli lander was also able to transmit data back to mission control before its untimely death.