🇸🇪 Testing Mars parachutes from the edge of Space

On 7 July, at 09.25 local time, the drop-test campaign for ESA’s ExoMars mission was successfully conducted at SSC’s Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. A high-altitude balloon carried a test capsule to an altitude of 29 kilometers, where it was dropped within Esrange’s vast impact area.

The HADT (High Altitude Drop Test) balloon campaign is part of ESA’s ExoMars program, which is developing Europe’s first Mars rover — the Rosalind Franklin. One of the key components being tested is the rover’s second main parachute, which measures an impressive 35 meters in diameter, making it the largest parachute ever sent to Mars.

The test at Esrange focuses on evaluating the performance of this newly developed parachute under near-space conditions, helping ensure a safe descent for the rover when it eventually lands on the Red Planet. To replicate the unique combination of low atmospheric density and high entry speed that the capsule will face when plunging into Mars’ thin atmosphere — just 1% the density of Earth’s at sea level — the balloon needed to ascend to high altitudes.

The parachute tests were conducted from an altitude of 29 kilometers, nearly three times higher than the cruising altitude of commercial airliners. Once dropped, the capsule entered a 20-second free-fall, accelerating to nearly the speed of sound before sequentially deploying its parachutes.

High-altitude drop tests require complex logistics and strict weather conditions for a secure flight. The unique facilities at Esrange Space Center, and long heritage of stratospheric balloon missions dating back to the 70’s, make it a suitable location for this kind of campaign.

“Our teams are responsible for all launch operations, including payload recovery to ensure a successful drop-test campaign. While we prepare the ground operations and monitors flight safety, good trajectories are essential for a successful drop of the payload. The 5200 km² impact area surrounding Esrange allows secure launches and drops,” says Marie Lambert, Flight Director SSC.

The final journey to Mars
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars mission is a program aimed at answering one of humanity’s most profound questions: Has life ever existed on Mars?

ExoMars is structured in two main phases. The first, launched in 2016, was the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), which is currently studying the Martian atmosphere and serving as a communications relay. The second phase involves the Rosalind Franklin rover, designed to drill up to two meters below the Martian surface to search for signs of past or present life – deeper than any previous Mars rover has gone.

As complex as the final journey to Mars, the preparatory drop-test of the ExoMars mission has been one of the most multifaceted balloon campaigns ever conducted at Esrange.

“This is a demanding and complex launch, as it involves both ground and flight operations to ensure optimal conditions. We are thrilled to call this a successful drop-test giving some of the final confirmations for the final journey to Mars,” says Marie Lambert.

The mission is now targeting a 2028 launch, with the Rosalind Franklin rover expected to land on Mars in 2030. The primary goal is to search for biosignatures – chemical or structural indicators of life – in the Martian subsurface. It will also study the planet’s geology and climate history, helping scientists understand whether Mars ever had conditions suitable for life.

Watch the ESA-produced film from the mission at Esrange Space Center:

Read more at ESA Science Exploration_ExoMars

Originally published on 22 July by SSC Space.

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