The Beagle 2 lander, lost for two years, has been found in images captured on Mars.
The photographs were taken by NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor satellite. After analysis, astronomers concluded that the spacecraft is “almost unscathed.”
The lander had landed close to a crater. Experts believe that until the landing, the spacecraft was intact; it was only upon touching the planet’s surface that the communication system failed, which effectively meant losing the entire craft. The cause might be due to a less dense atmosphere than expected because of dust storms.
On December 19, 2003, Beagle 2 separated from the Mars Express satellite and was supposed to land on Mars six days later. It was expected to search for signs of life, analyze soil and rock, and study the atmosphere there. However, the lander never confirmed its landing, and subsequently, no signals were received from it.
Beagle 2 was designed by British scientists at a cost of $90 million. Previously, the Mars Global Surveyor had also discovered remnants of another failed mission: the debris of the Mars Polar Lander, which had gone missing six years earlier.
TRAN DUC THANH
