ExoMars Parachute System Successfully Tested for Martian Landing

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced the successful testing of a sophisticated parachute system designed for the ExoMars mission, which aims to land the Rosalind Franklin rover on Mars. This test, conducted on July 7, 2025, at the Swedish Space Corporation's Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, represents a significant milestone in preparing for the challenges of Martian descent and landing.

The parachute system is the most complex ever designed for Mars, featuring a dual-stage deployment mechanism. The first parachute, measuring 15 meters in diameter, is engineered to deploy at supersonic speeds, while the second parachute, an impressive 35 meters wide, is the largest of its kind destined for Mars, capable of handling the unique atmospheric conditions encountered during descent. Luca Ferracina, ESA's ExoMars Entry Descent and Landing Module system engineer, emphasized the significance of this achievement, stating, "We are happy to confirm that we have a parachute design that can work on Mars—an ambitious system with the largest parachute ever to be flown outside Earth."

The high-altitude drop test involved releasing a dummy descent module from a stratospheric helium balloon at an altitude of nearly 30 kilometers. This altitude is essential to replicate the thin atmosphere of Mars, which is approximately 1% denser than that of Earth at sea level. During the test, the dummy capsule underwent free-fall for about 20 seconds, reaching speeds close to the speed of sound before the parachutes were deployed in sequence.

Ferracina explained the purpose of the test: "Testing on Earth is a way to gain confidence and confirm that all the elements perform as expected." The complexity of landing on Mars is underscored by the need to decelerate from a staggering 21,000 kilometers per hour upon entering the Martian atmosphere to a safe landing speed. This requires a combination of thermal shielding, a robust parachute system, and a retro-rocket propulsion mechanism.

The parachute design incorporates a series of advanced features, including a disc-gap band design for the first parachute, which aids in efficient deceleration, and a ring-slot design for the second parachute, ensuring maximum drag during the final descent phase. John Underwood, principal engineer at Vorticity, the U.K. company responsible for the parachute analysis, highlighted the importance of using two parachutes: "Using two parachutes allows us to design a strong, medium-sized parachute to decelerate the probe through supersonic speeds and then a much larger, lightweight parachute for the final descent."

The ExoMars parachute system had previously been qualified for a Martian mission in 2021 but was put on hold due to geopolitical factors, specifically the invasion of Ukraine. This recent testing campaign aimed to verify the parachutes' performance after a prolonged period of storage. Each parachute is constructed from lightweight fabric, approximately 40 grams per square meter, facilitating their deployment under Martian conditions.

As the data from the test is analyzed, ESA and its partners will assess the performance and reliability of the parachute system. The telemetry collected during the drop, along with high-speed video footage, will provide critical insights into the parachutes' inflation and deceleration profiles, enhancing the overall mission preparedness.

The ExoMars mission represents a collaborative effort across multiple European nations, with components manufactured in various countries including the Netherlands, Italy, and Czechia. Thales Alenia Space in France oversaw the test campaign and was responsible for the parachute assembly system, reflecting a broader commitment to advancing European space exploration capabilities.

In conclusion, the successful testing of the ExoMars parachute system marks a crucial step toward ensuring a safe landing for the Rosalind Franklin rover on Mars. As preparations continue, ESA remains focused on overcoming the formidable challenges posed by interplanetary exploration, with hopes of unveiling new scientific discoveries about the Red Planet's geological and potential biological history.

### Sources: 1. European Space Agency, "ExoMars parachutes ready for martian deployment" (July 21, 2025) 2. Ferracina, Luca, European Space Agency, Interviewed July 2025. 3. Underwood, John, Principal Engineer at Vorticity, Interviewed July 2025. 4. Swedish Space Corporation, Esrange Space Center, Technical Report, July 2025. 5. ESA Technical Documents, ExoMars Entry Descent and Landing Module Specifications, 2023.