ExoMars team delays 2020 Red Planet road trip after failing to complete all necessary testing

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos Space Corporation (RSC) have blinked and postponed the planned 2020 launch of the ExoMars rover Rosalind Franklin. The mission had been on shaky ground after failures during the testing of the lander's parachutes and despite help from the likes of NASA, the team finally accepted …

[ma1010]

Huh?

Delaying a mission to ensure all tests are complete? We could think of one aviation giant that could learn a thing or two from such a revolutionary approach.

And I have NO IDEA what organization you could be referring to. ***boing***boing***

[KarMann]

e e

Hey, I found these 'e's lying on the floor. Did you drop them?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: e e

Testing parachutes before launch ?

No need old chap, we will just muddle through when we get there - that's the British way

[Chris G]

Delay the mission?

Nah! Let's use an AI to model the 'chutes.

It'll be okay!

No, really, it'll be fine.

[oldtaku]

I admire the ESA's commitment to having this mission crashland in only the best condition.

[Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse]

Think outside the box lads...

You'd think with all that brainpower they would have been able to rapidise testing by implementing the Boeing method.

Ahhh, ok... I see your point :-)

[Conundrum1885]

Mars

Is hard!

Actually Beagle 2 almost worked, the landing was a little harder than anticipated which doomed it.

The hinge mechanism was a known weak point which alas escaped testing specifically the

vulnerability to one very large jolt, as were the chutes.

For all we know the damage was done during launch or ejecting from the orbiter.

[JCitizen]

Better to test than...

end up with a drill that can't even drill into the Martian surface. That one was pretty silly!