European Space Agency ExoMars orbiter and Schiaparelli lander arrived at Mars on October 19, 2016.
On October 19, 2016, the European Space Agency reached Mars with the ExoMars 2016 mission, delivering both an orbiter and a lander. The mission featured the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Schiaparelli lander, which separated three days before arrival.
On October 19, 2016, the European Space Agency reached Mars with the ExoMars 2016 mission, delivering both an orbiter and a lander. The mission featured the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Schiaparelli lander, which separated three days before arrival. While the orbiter successfully entered Mars orbit, the lander crashed into the surface after a data glitch caused it to skip firing its descent thrusters.
European Space Agency officials ultimately judged the mission 96 percent successful. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter later photographed the crash site and jettisoned parachute. The surviving Trace Gas Orbiter remains functional, circling the planet to detect atmospheric methane and other gases that might signal biological activity. The mission was designed to test landing technology for future rovers and provide communications relays.
However, the lander failure and later political shifts—including the agency severing its partnership with Russia—delayed the planned ExoMars rover launch to no earlier than 2028.
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Original publication: 20 October 2026 01:10
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