Still no contact with Beagle 2
Posted: Sat, Jan 10, 2004, 9:52 AM ET (1452 GMT)
The British-built Beagle 2 Mars lander has yet to communicate with controllers, more than two weeks after landings, making it increasingly likely that the mission has failed. ESA's Mars Express orbiter has passed over the landing site for three straight days but, as of Friday, had yet to detect any signals from the lander. Past efforts to contact the lander through NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft and groundbased systems also failed. Mars Express will make a few other passes over the site, including one on Saturday, and Beagle 2 is designed to shift into another communications mode if contact is not established by early February. The Financial Times reported Saturday that, regardless of the outcome of the mission, Beagle 2 project scientist Colin Pillinger would urge the UK to fund a similar mission for launch in 2007.
The British-built Beagle 2 Mars lander has yet to communicate with controllers, more than two weeks after landings, making it increasingly likely that the mission has failed. ESA's Mars Express orbiter has passed over the landing site for three straight days but, as of Friday, had yet to detect any signals from the lander. Past efforts to contact the lander through NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft and groundbased systems also failed. Mars Express will make a few other passes over the site, including one on Saturday, and Beagle 2 is designed to shift into another communications mode if contact is not established by early February. The Financial Times reported Saturday that, regardless of the outcome of the mission, Beagle 2 project scientist Colin Pillinger would urge the UK to fund a similar mission for launch in 2007.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, April 7
Seagate Space Signs MOU with Firefly Aerospace
Seagate Space — 6:24 am ET (1024 GMT) Firefly, Seagate Team Up To Build Sea-Based Launch Platform
Aviation Week — 6:24 am ET (1024 GMT) Galileo goes to the Moon
ESA — 6:23 am ET (1023 GMT) SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Starlink satellites from Vandenberg, CA Space Force Base
KFMB-TV San Diego — 6:22 am ET (1022 GMT) The Age Of Space Maneuver Warfare Is Imminent
Forbes.com — 6:21 am ET (1021 GMT) |
