European Mars Lander's Fate Still Uncertain: ESA


European Mars Lander's Fate Still Uncertain: ESA

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – European scientists are still not certain whether a space lander that reached Mars Wednesday touched down on the Red Planet in good working condition, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.

"The landing test still gives us some open questions we have to analyse," ESA Director General Jan Woerner told journalists Thursday, adding he could not say whether the disc-shaped 577-kilogram (1,272 pound) Schiaparelli probe was still in one piece, Reuters reported.

Scientists said data had been received showing the lander's heat shield and parachutes deployed successfully, but that it was unclear what happened in the final seconds before landing and no data had yet been received from the surface.

Schiaparelli, which is testing technologies for a rover due to follow in 2020, represents only the second European attempt to land a craft on the Red Planet.

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