The European Space Agency has announced that the probe, which was due to land on Christmas Day 2003 has been spotted by the hi-res camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. That in itself is a remarkable achievement as Beagle-2 would only have been two metres wide if fully deployed.
The initial analysis of the photos is that Beagle landed successful and managed to deploy solar panels - crucially, however, these weren't all deployed and so not enough power was generated for the probe to operate.
 |
| What should have happened |
Well done Beagle 2, that's brightened my afternoon.
ReplyDeleteHeard on the radio today (or it might have been the telly - shows how much notice I take of it) that some 'authorities have said the mision should never have been undertaken because it was done on a shoe string. I prefer to think the mission should have been properly funded. If British scientists can achieve what they have over the past twenty years or so with about five bob and a book of Green Shield stamps, just think what they could have done with decent resources.
ReplyDeleteFirst they force them to smoke all those cigarettes, then they send them to Mars - shameful...
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, it means that they can now take down the home made A4 photocopies from the telegraph poles and lampposts; "Lost - one beagle - reward offered."
DeleteI do get a kick out of all things interplanetary, thanks for sharing, Edwin!
ReplyDeleteLoved this story! But what was really depressing is discovering it was eleven years ago. If someone had asked me I would have said three or four years ago!
ReplyDeleteGreat news.
ReplyDelete