They really launched this tiny spacecraft (Well, sort of.) | Space photo of the day for May 11, 2026

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This tiny capsule was just shot out of a gun at over 2,600 mph (4,200 kph).

While miniature, this space capsule is no toy. It's part of a rigorous testing process for the European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars mission.

What is it?

ESA is developing a landing module, formally called the Entry Descent and Landing Module (EDLM), for its ExoMars mission that will carry the agency's Rosalind Franklin rover to the Martian surface. This mission aims to launch in 2028.

To make sure that the EDLM is ready to launch into space and land on Mars, the mission team launched 20 of these tiny models of the capsule on Earth. The little, 3-inch wide capsules were shot out of a bore gun at over 2,600 mph, or nearly four times the speed of sound.

These "micro launches," as I'm calling them unofficially, mimicked the aerodynamics that a Mars capsule would experience careening through the Martian atmosphere at supersonic speeds.

Each of these 20 mini capsules launched while outfitted with electronic circuits, monitoring their flight. During their nearly 755-foot (230-meter) flights, the capsules captured important data about their acceleration, movement, trajectory and stability, according to ESA.

Why is it incredible?

These miniature space capsules look like toys, but in these tests, they withstood almost 17,000 g-forces of acceleration.

The tiny robot figurine in this image and the Martian-esque reddish dirt underneath give the capsule the appearance of a fancy toy display. But as cute as the mini capsule is, it's doing an important job.

It is no small feat to launch something to another planet and have it survive the harrowing downward trip through that world's atmosphere, all the while keeping the delicate instrumentation inside intact.

ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover aims to search for signs of ancient life on Mars, and to do that it has to stay protected from the extreme elements of spaceflight by the EDLM. And these cute, strange little capsules are helping, with the data they generate during their superfast micro launches.

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Chelsea Gohd served as a Senior Writer for Space.com from 2018 to 2022 before returning in 2026, covering everything from climate change to planetary science and human spaceflight in both articles and on-camera in videos. With a M.S. in Biology, Chelsea has written and worked for institutions including NASA JPL, the American Museum of Natural History, Scientific American, Discover Magazine Blog, Astronomy Magazine, and Live Science. When not writing, editing or filming something space-y, Gohd is writing music and performing as Foxanne, even launching a song to space in 2021 with Inspiration4. You can follow her online @chelsea.gohd and @foxanne.music