It is part of the ExoMars astrobiology mission, which also put a satellite into orbit around the Red Planet Wednesday. [ExoMars arrives at the Red Planet to study the weather and sniff for life]The Schiaparelli lander was able to muster a hazy transmission during its descent, letting engineers know that its parachutes had deployed. The uncertainty overshadowed the successful orbital insertion of the Schiaparelli's sister spacecraft, the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). Currently, there are three orbiters (NASA's Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance orbiters, ESA's Mars Express and the Indian Space Research Organization's Mars Orbiter Mission) and two rovers (NASA's Opportunity and Curiosity) operating on the Red Planet. Among them is the Beagle 2 lander, which the ESA landed on the planet in 2003 but never heard from again.

Source: Washington Post October 19, 2016 19:54 UTC