Rear heat shield for the Schiaparelli capsule
Date: 09 May 2014
Satellite: ExoMars 2016 - Schiaparelli
Depicts: Schiaparelli rear heat shield
Copyright: Airbus Defence and Space SAS 2014 A. Gilbert
The ExoMars 2016 mission consists of the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing demonstrator module.
The Schiaparelli module will have two heat shields, front and rear, to protect the capsule during its descent through the Martian atmosphere. The heat shields have been developed by the Space Systems teams at Airbus Defence and Space, primarily at its site in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, near Bordeaux (France). This photo of the rear heat shield was taken during the final phase of production.
The rear heat shield weighs a mere 20 kg and is composed of 93 insulating tiles of 12 different types, affixed to a carbon structure. It also will contain the parachute to be deployed during the capsule's descent.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
