The problems that befell the Mars mission won’t stop the dawning of a new era in the space race. Iain S Bruce explains why Hurtling through time and space, the Mars probe landed, bounced and rolled to a stop. Waiting back on earth for robotic arms to crank into life, extend four delicate solar panels towards the stars and begin broadcasting a signal of success, mission control stopped, the world held its breath, and then nothing happened at all. It was no way for a 93 million mile journey to end, but even as Beagle 2’s British launch team bravely...