Attempt to contact Beagle 2 ends in failure

Guardian ^ | 01/26/04 | Adam Blenford and agencies

[Pikamax]

3.45pm update

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attempt to contact Beagle 2 ends in failure

Adam Blenford and agencies Monday January 26, 2004

A fresh attempt to make contact with the missing Mars probe Beagle 2 has ended in failure, disappointed British scientists admitted today. More than a month after the £50 million probe was scheduled to land on the surface of the red planet, mission scientists from the Open University have still received no data from Mars.

The latest attempt to establish contact with Beagle 2 was made over the weekend, after a 10-day pause designed to force the lander's internal computer into an emergency communication mode.

If the ploy had worked, Beagle 2 should have been online for radio or data contact 24 hours a day, instead of shutting itself down during the Martian nights. But no contact was made even though Beagle's mothership, the Mars Express orbiter, twice passed directly over the intended landing site.

Hopes for making contact with Beagle 2 now rest on sending a computer message from the American orbiter Mars Odyssey. If the probe is intact on the surface of Mars but unable to send data, this message could reboot its central computer and open communications channels.

In a downbeat press conference today, Beagle 2's lead scientist Professor Colin Pillinger admitted that the re-boot option is a "last resort".

He said: "We are now working on the basis that this is a corrupt system and the only way we might resurrect it is to send such a command and completely reload the software, if it's still alive.

"Of course, that is a very dangerous command to send because if the thing is AWOL, or even if it's there, it may never respond to it, so it's pretty much a last resort."

Prof Pillinger said that his team would press on with the search for the missing probe, despite the bleak outlook. "It would be incredibly useful to us to know how far in its mission it got because we are ... dedicated to trying to re-fly Beagle 2 in one way, shape or form."

The lack of any signal from Beagle 2 since it was supposed to land on Christmas Day suggests that the probe was destroyed or fatally damaged as it entered the atmosphere.

The latest failure to contact Beagle 2 comes as US and European scientists are celebrating the dramatic successes of a string of other Mars missions.

Two Nasa-built landers, Spirit and Opportunity, are currently exploring opposite sides of the planet, although Spirit, which relayed dramatic pictures of a rocky crater for over two weeks, has suffered communications problems and is currently not relaying scientific data.

And the Mars Express orbiter scored a major success last week when it confirmed the presence of ice at Mars' south pole - the first definitive scientific confirmation of water on the planet's surface.

Last week Professor Pillinger spoke of his hopes that despite the apparent failure of Beagle 2 his team could send a "pack of Beagles" to the surface of Mars in future missions, perhaps as part of a joint project with Nasa.

[Prodigal Son]

Bummer.

[ClearCase_guy]

OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT: FRANCISCO FRANCO IS STILL DEAD!!!!!

[Rockitz]

Final Score:

US 2
UK 0

[OldFriend]

I hope they get the Beagle to send signals. This must be so disappointing.

[Prodigal Son]

It's not a contest. I really would've liked to see the Beagle succeed.

[ambrose]

It isn't a contest? Tell that to the Euros who keep claiming that they "discovered" water on Mars.

[RightWhale]

the first definitive scientific confirmation of water on the planet's surface.

Nah. Water ice at the pole has been known for decades. This is just another confirmation.

[RightWhale]

disappointing

Beagle 2 was instrumented to look for signs of life. The Rovers are primarily geological in purpose. There is probably some overlap, but the missions would have looked at Mars differently, told us different things.

[Prodigal Son]

Yeah, you're right. Down with the Brits. I hope the only nation to ever succeed in space is the good ole USA. It's a beautiful world, yeah?

[ambrose]

No, let's all wear flowers, praise peace and work together as one and explore for the betterment of all mankind.

Nice positive thought to have, but in the real world, it is competition (Sputnik) which got us off our asses to develop a space program in the first place.

[Right_in_Virginia]

A fresh attempt to make contact with the missing Mars probe Beagle 2 has ended in failure, disappointed British scientists admitted today.

Sorry to hear this, friends. Next time.

[Prodigal Son]

I tell ya what. You wear the flowers... USA against the world. Sounds good to me.

'One giant leap for mankind' rhetoric notwithstanding.

[ambrose]

You're missing the point.

Competition is good for the space program.

[Prodigal Son]

I'm not missing the point. It's loud and clear. If it aint American science it's bad science. We score, the rest of the world punts. Yahoooo! Baby!!!

[ambrose]

You're being silly.

[Prodigal Son]

I'm not being silly. USA 2 UK 0. Read it and cry like a baby Brits.

So what if my tax money went into the mission?

[Dead Dog]

Time for the Brits to learn how to fail.

Step 1. Admitting it is the first step..just say "$)*(@#$!!!", and move on.

Step 2. Get More Money

Step 3. Try same thing, except for those elements that didn't work.

Repeat until Death or Success

[ambrose]

You're reading me wrong. I'd love for our scientists to be able to digest the data coming back from the Beagle.

However, I also believe that competition is good for the space program.

I am sure many countries which previously had no interest in the Moon or Mars are now reconsidering in light of Bush's proposal.

[Dead Dog]

Hey, there the one's running around claiming they discoverd water on Mars (two years late).

What's the deal with their pics? Looks like budget supermarket steak with red food coloring.