Posted: Sun, Jul 7, 2019, 10:18 AM ET (1418 GMT)
ESA suffered a setback in the development of its ExoMars 2020 mission when parachutes were damaged in a recent test. The agency said that during a high-altitude test of the parachute system for the lander in late May, the two main parachutes were torn in several places, although they still achieved "a good level of the expected aerodynamic drag." Engineers will investigate the cause of the tears and plan to reinforce the parachutes before additional tests planned for later this year. ExoMars 2020 is scheduled for launch next July, landing a rover on Mars the following March.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  ESA statement