2003 British Mars probe, thought lost, is found

[BrainGlutton]

Story here.

London (AFP) - A British-built probe which vanished 11 years ago has been found on the surface of Mars, scientists said on Friday, solving an enduring mystery of space exploration.

Joy at the discovery was tinged with sadness that it came a year after the death of Professor Colin Pillinger, the eccentric but brilliant driving force behind the 2003 mission.

Pillinger, whose mutton-chop sideburns helped make him one of Britain’s favourite mad scientist figures, raised much of the money for the launch himself and died frustrated at the lack of support for a follow-up mission.

<snip>

“What we can say with some confidence today is that Beagle 2 is no longer lost and furthermore it seems we are not looking at a crash site,” David Parker, head of the UK Space Agency, told reporters at a press conference in London.

“These images are consistent with the Beagle 2 having successfully landed on Mars but then only partially deploying itself.”

This partial deployment meant that it could not make contact with the Beagle team on Earth and that the data stored by the machine can no longer be retrieved.

But:

The discovery makes Beagle 2 the first European spacecraft to land successfully on Mars.

[AK84]

I have been following this story, but the point is that the probe did not land successfully. It did not function as designed or indeed at all. This is the equivalent of finding the body. Don’t know how they can call this a success.

So, TARDIS remains the epitome of Britain’s Space endevours. Oh, and most of the new Satellites in space.

[davidm]

The point is that it did land successfully, as opposed to crashing. It simply failed to unfurl its solar panels properly. So yes, is was a failed mission, but it appears that it landed rather than crashed.

[davidm]

This has now spawned a particularly idiotic meme: “They can find a lost probe on Mars, but they can’t find a lost plane on Earth.” Idiots abound.

[Ethilrist]

See, this is what we need Dr. Manhattan for. Just pop on over there and open the panels and it’ll be good as new. While he’s at it, go over to that comet and shove the lander over into the sunlight.