The European Space Agency (ESA) denied Tuesday a report by its Russian counterpart that its just-launched mission to Mars had been hit by a major communications problem. The Russian agency, Rosaviakosmos, said Monday that communications were down between the onboard computer of the Mars Express orbiter, en route for the Red Planet, and the Beagle-2, a British-built lander which it carries.
June 20th, 2003
Unexpected message delays Beagle 2 boot-up New Scientist
First contact with the UK’s Beagle 2 Mars lander, which set off for the Red Planet on 2 June, has been delayed by a week. The postponement is required to allow engineers time to decipher an unexpected message from an instrument on Beagle’s mother ship, Mars Express.
June 18th, 2003
Mars lander Beagle 2 to boot up New Scientist
Britain’s Mars lander Beagle 2, currently speeding towards the Red Planet, will be activated on Friday for the first time since its launch. “This will tell us whether we survived launch,” says Jim Clemmet, engineering manager for Beagle 2 at prime contractors Astrium. “It is also one of the few occasions [during the voyage] when we’ll be able to check that it’s healthy.”
June 10th, 2003
AEA Battery Systems powers mission to Mars AEA Battery Systems
AEA Battery Systems (AEABS) provides power solution for European ‘Mars Express’ spacecraft and British-led ‘Beagle 2’ lander. UK based AEA Technology Battery Systems contributed to the race to find life on Mars this week with the launch of ‘Mars Express’, Europe’s first voyage to another planet. Both the spacecraft ‘Mars Express’ and its ‘Beagle 2’ lander which sits on top benefit from AEA Technology’s unique lithium-ion battery technology.
June 5th, 2003
Clamps away, Mars Express eases its grip on its lander
Europe’s first mission to the Red Planet, continues its successful mission with another successful ‘high-risk’ post-launch milestone. Mars Express engineers breathed a sigh of relief this morning at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), in Germany. If a particularly delicate operation had not proceeded as planned, it would have been impossible to deploy the Mars Express lander, Beagle 2, on arrival at Mars.
June 3rd, 2003
Europe goes to Mars
A signal sent by the space craft to ground control confirmed what scientists had hoped – the launch had been successful and the probe was on the correct path for Mars. The Mars Express orbiter, carrying the British-built lander, Beagle 2, left Earth on a Russian Soyuz-Fregat launcher. The rocket blasted off from Baikonur in Kazakhstan at 1845 BST (1745 GMT) on Monday. It will take six months for the orbiter and its lander passenger to reach the Red Planet.
June 2nd, 2003
U.S. Partners Share in Excitement of Europe’s Mars Mission
Americans are participating in several ways in the European Space Agency’s first mission to Mars, launched today from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. “The exploration of Mars is an international adventure,” said Dr. Cathy Weitz at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. “Our rover missions have key participants in Europe, and there are U.S. scientists on the teams for every instrument on Mars Express.” Weitz serves dual coordinating roles as project scientist for NASA’s participation in Mars Express and as program scientist for the Mars Exploration Rovers.
June 2nd, 2003
Mars on a Dime
It’s small, lightweight and simple in design. And European scientists hope it will become the little spaceship that could. The European Space Agency launched its first mission to Mars today in the form of a disc-like ship carrying a compact lander named the Beagle 2. The robots’ main mission is to find signs of life
May 29th, 2003
Beagle2 to probe Europe’s strength in robot race against US, Japan
Europe’s landmark space mission set to lift off for Mars next week will be a litmus test of its strength in robotic technology in rivalry with US and Japanese competitors, according to a senior computer engineer for the project.