DARMSTADT, Germany, Jan. 16 (UPI) — Beagle-2 has been missing since 2003, eluding several search efforts over the years. But recent images captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed the miniature lander — lost but now found.
“We are very happy to learn that Beagle-2 touched down on Mars. The dedication of the various teams in studying high-resolution images in order to find the lander is inspiring,” Alvaro Giménez, ESA’s Director of Science and Robotic Exploration, said in a press release.
The lander rode to the Red Planet in 2003 as part of ESA’s Mars Express mission. But the mini spacecraft was never heard from again after being released for landing from its mothership the Mars Express Orbiter. Both NASA and ESA probes have scanned the Martian terrain for signs of the lander in the intervening years, but all searches proved fruitless — until now.
“Not knowing what happened to Beagle-2 remained a nagging worry,” said Rudolf Schmidt, who was the Express mission’s project manager at the time. “Understanding now that Beagle-2 made it all the way down to the surface is excellent news.”
The new images suggest the lander only partially deployed its landing gear as it touched down on the Martian surface more than a decade ago. It appears as if only one or two of its four solar panels opened. The lander’s parachute can be seen close by, and the images also suggest the lander’s deployed airbags are on the ground.
It’s not clear whether Beagle-2 was damaged in the landing, but the partial deployment of its solar panels prevented it from communicating with mission controllers in Darmstadt, Germany. ESA officials say there is no hope for recovering or repurposing the lander.
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