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LequteMan
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A European space probe sent to Mars to search for evidence of life on the planet has been destroyed on Mars.
Images taken by a NASA Mars orbiter showed that the probe fell to the Red Planet's surface from a height of 2 to 4 kilometers (1.2 to 2.5 miles) and was destroyed on impact, the European Space Agency said on Friday.
The disc-shaped 577-kg (1,272 lb) Schiaparelli probe descended on Wednesday to test technologies for a rover that scientists hope to send to the surface of the planet in 2020.
But contact to the vehicle was lost around 50 seconds before the expected landing time, leaving its fate uncertain until the NASA images were received.
ESA said it was possible that Schiaparelli's landing was accompanied by an explosion, as its thrusters' fuel tanks were probably still full.
It was part of the Russian-European ExoMars program to search for evidence of life on the planet.
Reuters
Images taken by a NASA Mars orbiter showed that the probe fell to the Red Planet's surface from a height of 2 to 4 kilometers (1.2 to 2.5 miles) and was destroyed on impact, the European Space Agency said on Friday.
The disc-shaped 577-kg (1,272 lb) Schiaparelli probe descended on Wednesday to test technologies for a rover that scientists hope to send to the surface of the planet in 2020.
But contact to the vehicle was lost around 50 seconds before the expected landing time, leaving its fate uncertain until the NASA images were received.
ESA said it was possible that Schiaparelli's landing was accompanied by an explosion, as its thrusters' fuel tanks were probably still full.
It was part of the Russian-European ExoMars program to search for evidence of life on the planet.
Reuters
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