Bad IMU data appears to be cause of Schiaparelli crash

ESA engineers believe they have found the cause of the Schiaparelli Mars lander. It appears that the Inertial Measurement Unit reached saturation during the descent, resulting in bad altitude data. After reaching saturation the IMU reported the lander was actually below ground level, while still at 12,000 feet.

The final report won't be completed until next year, but they've recreated this in the computer simulations.

aviationweek.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58
Sounds like a typical Saturday night. My own Inertial Measurement Unit always reaches saturation, making me feel like I'm actually below ground level the next morning.