Final testing of a Shropshire-built parachute for a space probe to Mars was taking place early today. The parachute – made by Oswestry’s Lindstrand Balloons – was dropped from a balloon 300ft above Sleap Airfield, near Wem. Attached to it was a weight equivalent to the revolutionary Beagle 2 space probe. The probe was developed by Astrium, the prime contractor for the international project to land on the Red Planet and search for life.
September 20th, 2002
Lander risks missing Mars trip The New Scientist
The British scientists building the lander they hope will explore the surface of Mars have vowed to have their robotic probe ready for launch, amid concerns over the project’s financial status. The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch Mars Express, Europe’s first ever mission to the red planet, in June 2003. This will carry the lander, called Beagle 2, as well as an array of analytical instruments that will be deployed in orbit around Mars.
September 19th, 2002
Trouble for British Mars lander
A race is on to finish building a British spacecraft in time for the first European mission to Mars. Engineers are working extra hours on Beagle 2, amid concern the project is running over budget and behind schedule. It would be a major embarrassment to the UK if the craft – designed to land on the Red Planet – was left on the launch pad when the primary vehicle, Mars Express, blasts off early next year. David Southwood, Director of Science at the European Space Agency (Esa), said the Mars Express probe would take-off with or without Beagle.
September 18th, 2002
Ferrari red paint passes road test for trip to Mars
The symbol of Ferrari’s extraordinary success, its red paint ‘Rosso Corsa’, has been given the green light to go into space, as it was declared officially ‘space qualified’ at a formal ceremony held today at INTESPACE in Toulouse, France. A specially constructed glass globe, known as FRED, containing the sample of paint was then integrated on to the Mars Express spacecraft, in readiness for the fastest journey Ferrari has ever made. The sample of red paint is due to begin its trip to the Red Planet on-board the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft in May/June 2003.
September 18th, 2002
The Grand Prix of space missions
Ferrari has proved itself to be the best racing team on Earth and now it is headed for Mars. A blob of the mark’s famous red paint sealed inside a tiny glass globe is to travel to the fourth planet on Europe’s Mars Express mission. The link with Ferrari marks a new move by Esa to get more Europeans interested in space. David Southwood, the director of science at Esa, said Europe would be going to nine celestial bodies in the next decade. “This is a serious programme and Mars will open the door,” he said.
September 10th, 2002
EDS EDS
EDS today announced its collaborative product development product lifecycle management (PLM) software has driven the design of the Entry, Descent and Lander System (EDLS) for the Beagle 2 Mars lander, which will carry the principal experiments payload in next year
September 5th, 2002
See Mars Express before its departure to the Red Planet
Mars Express, to be launched in May-June 2003 on its six-month journey to Mars, is presently being put through a test campaign at INTESPACE, Toulouse, France. The spacecraft, which will be undertaking Europe’s first mission to the Red Planet, is to be presented at a special press event being held in Toulouse on 18 September. Media representatives are invited to INTESPACE on Wednesday 18 September to learn about the mission and attend a ceremony at which a container filled with Ferrari’s distinctive ‘Rosso Corsa’ red paint will be integrated with the spacecraft.
September 3rd, 2002
No place for life to hide from Mars Express
Of all missions sent to Mars only one, the Viking 26 years ago, has dared to search for life. Its only conclusive result was that finding proof of extraterrestrial life proved to be much harder than expected. Second attempts never followed. Until now. ESA’s Mars Express, the next mission to the Red Planet and the first European one, has an ambitious goal. To be launched in 2003, Mars Express will be the first spacecraft after Viking to search for direct and indirect evidence for past or present life on Mars. This time, scientists are equipped with more knowledge and insight in how to detect Martian life. The chances of success look very good.
August 21st, 2002
Ferrari red paint competes for an extraordinary qualification
Ferrari has recently faced some tough challenges on the racetrack, but achieving the qualifications that will allow its famous red paint “Rosso Corsa” to go into space is another story altogether. In July, three test containers of Ferrari’s red paint “Rosso Corsa” arrived at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in The Netherlands, in order to be tested in preparation for the journey to the Red Planet on-board Mars Express. Over the following weeks, the red paint sample, safely installed in a specially constructed glass globe 2cm in diameter, nicknamed “Fred”, and sunk in a specially designed fibreglass supporting block, has been undergoing a severe testing process.
August 6th, 2002
Europe begins building Mars lander
Taking a leap forward in the study of Mars, European engineers began construction on the Beagle 2, a lander slated to hit the red planet in 2003. The robot craft will probe rocks, dig into the soil and sniff the air, checking for organic matter and other life-related chemical compounds like atmospheric methane. The Beagle 2, named after Charles Darwin’s sea ship HMS Beagle, will hitch a ride with the Mars Express, a European Space Agency craft that will orbit the red planet.