Schiaparelli’s descent to Mars

Vizualisation of the ExoMars Schiaparelli module entering and descending through the martian atmosphere to land on Mars. Schiaparelli will enter the atmosphere at about 21,000 kilometers per hour. In less than six minutes it will use a heatshield, a parachute and thrusters to slow its descent before touching down in the Meridiani Planum region close to the equator, absorbing the final contact with a crushable structure. The animation has been sped up. For an overview of the key timings and altitudes corresponding to the events portrayed in this animation, see <a href="http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/space-images/spacecraft/schiaparelli-landing-timeline.html">the Schiaparelli descent sequence graphic</a>.