The Schiaparelli Crash Site
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
The Schiaparelli Crash Site
ESP_062731_1780  Science Theme: Future Exploration/Landing Sites
The ExoMars Schiaparelli Lander (Entry, Descent, and landing Module, or EDM) crashed on the Martian surface on 19 October 2016. Also on that day the Trace Gas Orbiter successfully entered Mars orbit.

The HiRISE images acquired soon after the crash showed diffuse dark markings surrounding a shallow crater, plus small bright spots. HiRISE re-imaged this location on 25 March 2019, while dust was still settling from the planet-encircling dust storm, so surface features had low contrast.

HiRISE re-imaged this spot again through a much clearer atmosphere on 14 December 2019 (see animation). Much of the diffuse dark material has faded, perhaps from dust fallout, such that the crater is now more distinct. At least two bright spots are still visible.

In 2020 we expect three launches to Mars leading to landing attempts in early 2021: NASA’s unnamed (Mars 2020) rover, that will collect samples for return to Earth; the ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars lander and Rosalind Franklin rover; and an orbiter, lander, and Huoxing-1 (Mars-1) rover from China. HiRISE will be ready to see what happens.

Written by: Alfred McEwen  (29 January 2020)

 
Acquisition date
14 December 2019

Local Mars time
15:28

Latitude (centered)
-2.047°

Longitude (East)
353.790°

Spacecraft altitude
268.8 km (167.1 miles)

Original image scale range
from 27.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 54.6 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning)

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
10.7°

Phase angle
47.6°

Solar incidence angle
56°, with the Sun about 34° above the horizon

Solar longitude
120.5°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  34.1°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (269MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (253MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (120MB)
non-map           (139MB)

IRB color
map projected  (55MB)
non-map           (215MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (89MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (84MB)

RGB color
non map           (204MB)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.