Benefits of the Schiapparelli probe

Europe recently made Schiapparelli, a probe sent to mars to collect data. Landing the craft on mars, however, is not an easy feat. Mars has an extremely unpredictable and harsh climate, and successfully landing even a small, unmanned craft on its surface requires a complicated, precise arrival process. Decades of scientific innovation and funding have gone into this mission, and though there is a substantial risk in sending such an expensive piece of technology to Mars, the net gain of data gathered and technological innovation outweighs any downsides.

As time goes by and technology improves, the risk factor of sending a probe like Schiaparelli to Mars decreases while the potential for new information increases. Ten out of thirteen mars missions sent by NASA or the ESA have been successful over history, and the success rate has only grown in time (NASA, 2016). Each attempt, whether it succeeds or not, provides valuable information about Mars and increases chances of a future mission’s success. Even if Schiapparelli does fail, ESA will only learn more about how to develop better, more refined Mars probes for the future. There are more benefits, however, of a mission to Mars than just to improve prospects of a future mission.

Each successful trip to Mars reveals new information about the planet, which is extremely useful for the procession of space travel. Each individual probe that either orbits or has landed on Mars has provided scientists on Earth with groundbreaking discoveries about the planet. Mars is an exciting new frontier, and we learn new things about it with each mission. The end goal of collecting data and going to Mars is to eventually have the technology to send astronauts there to do research. This would be very beneficial to humanity as a whole, as the planet contains a plethora of minerals and resources not found on earth which could revolutionize science for the future. Schiapparelli is another key step in the process of getting men on Mars, or at least learning more about the red planet as a whole.

The Schiapparelli probe is not just about the risk and expense today; it opens up countless possibilities for the future. Government funding for space programs have always been and will always be a gamble, but the long-term rewards are incredible; a manned mission to mars may not be too far in the future. Sure, there is trouble now just learning how to land a small probe on the planet’s surface, but each attempt, successful or not, yields new information about how to be more successful in the next mission. The future of the world’s space programs does not lie in staying close to earth; it requires risk and innovation. Whether Schiapparelli lands safely or not, the mission and future missions will all pay off in the end.