Beagle 2, the pioneering Mars lander that is being developed now by the European Space Agency, is to be put together prior to takeoff for the Red Planet at the assembly and testing block at Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Russian Aerospace Agency (Rosaviakosmos) disclosed Tuesday. “Mars-bound Mars Express probe carrying that lander is scheduled to be launched in May/June 2003 with the aid of the Russian Soyuz FG launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome,” the space agency clarified. “The probe’s landing on the Red Planet is scheduled for the end of next year,” Rosaviakosmos added.