The First Time Humans Crashed a Probe on Mars

(via Motherboard)  In October, the European/Russian-built Schiaparelli lander crashed headlong into Mars after suffering a software glitch mere minutes before its planned touchdown in the Meridiani Planum region of the planet. The 49-by-131 foot blackened crater it left on the Martian surface is a reminder that landing robots on alien worlds is no easy feat.  Indeed, the tradition of crashing robots on Mars dates back to the Soviet probe Mars 2, which became the first human-made object to reach the Red Planet’s surface on November 27, 1971. Much like its descendent Schiaparelli, Mars 2 did not stick its landing.