Beagle 2

Beagle 2

Replica of Beagle 2 at the London Science Museum
Mission type Mars lander
Operator European Space Agency
COSPAR ID 2003-022C[1]
Website beagle2.open.ac.uk
Mission duration 2 months (planned)
Start of mission
Launch date 2 June 2003, 07:45 UTC
Rocket Soyuz-FG / Fregat
Launch site Baikonur Cosmodrome
Contractor EADS Astrium
Mars lander
Landing date 25 December 2003, 02:45 UTC
Landing site Isidis Planitia, Mars
11°31′35″N 90°25′46″E / 11.5265°N 90.4295°E

Beagle 2 is a British landing spacecraft that formed part of the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express mission. Beagle 2 is named after HMS Beagle.

The spacecraft was successfully deployed from the Mars Express on 19 December 2003 and was scheduled to land on the surface of Mars on 25 December; however, no contact was received at the expected time of landing on Mars, with the ESA declaring the mission lost in February 2004, after numerous attempts to contact the spacecraft were made.

The spacecraft's fate remained a mystery until it was announced in January 2015 that Beagle 2 had been located intact on the surface of Mars in a series of images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE instrument.[2][3] The images suggest that two of the spacecraft's four solar panels failed to deploy, blocking the spacecraft's communications antenna. Beagle 2 is the first British and first European probe to achieve a soft landing on Mars.

Background

Model of Beagle 2 at the Spaceport in Wirral, Merseyside, depicting the spacecraft in a state similar to the way it was found in 2015

Beagle 2 was conceived by a group of British academics headed by Professor Colin Pillinger of the Open University, in collaboration with the University of Leicester. Its purpose was to search for signs of life on Mars, past or present,[4] and its name reflected this goal, as Professor Pillinger explained:

"HMS Beagle was the ship that took Darwin on his voyage around the world in the 1830s and led to our knowledge about life on Earth making a real quantum leap. We hope Beagle 2 will do the same thing for life on Mars."

Isidis Planitia, an enormous flat sedimentary basin that overlies the boundary between the ancient highlands and the northern plains of Mars, was chosen as the landing site and a 50 by 8 kilometres (31.1 by 5.0 mi) ellipse centered on 11°32′N 90°30′E / 11.53°N 90.50°E was selected.[4] The lander was expected to operate for about 180 days and an extended mission of up to one Martian year (687 Earth days) was thought possible. The Beagle 2 lander objectives were to characterise the landing site geology, mineralogy, geochemistry and oxidation state, the physical properties of the atmosphere and surface layers, collect data on Martian meteorology and climatology, and search for possible signatures of life.

Pillinger set up a consortium to design and build Beagle 2. The principal members and their initial responsibilities were:

In 2000, when the main development phase started, Astrium took over responsibility for programme management, and Leicester assumed responsibility for mission management which involved the preparations for the operations post launch and the operations control centre.

In an effort to publicise the project and gain financial support, its designers sought and received the endorsement and participation of British artists. The mission's call-sign was composed by the band Blur, and the 'test card' (Calibration Target Plate) intended for calibrating Beagle 2's cameras and spectrometers after landing was painted by Damien Hirst.

The Lander Operations Control Centre (LOCC) was located at the National Space Centre in Leicester, from which the spacecraft was being controlled, and was visible to the public visiting the centre. The control centre included operational systems for controlling Beagle 2, analysis tools for processing engineering and scientific telemetry, virtual reality tools for preparing activity sequences, communications systems, and the Ground Test Model (GTM). The GTM was composed of various builds of the Beagle 2 systems, collected together to provide a full set of lander electronics. The GTM was used nearly continuously to validate the engineering and science commands, to rehearse the landing sequence, and to validate the onboard software.

Spacecraft and subsystems

Beagle 2 has a robotic arm known as the Payload Adjustable Workbench (PAW), designed to be extended after landing. The PAW contains a pair of stereo cameras, a microscope (with a 6 micrometre resolution), a Mössbauer spectrometer, an X-ray spectrometer, a drill for collecting rock samples and a spot lamp. Rock samples were to be passed by the PAW into a mass spectrometer and gas chromatograph in the body of the lander - the GAP (Gas Analysis Package), to measure the relative proportions of different isotopes of carbon and methane. Since carbon is thought to be the basis of all life, these readings could have revealed whether the samples contained the remnants of living organisms. Atmospheric methane is another signature of existing life, although geological processes can also be a source.

In addition, Beagle 2 is equipped with a small "mole" (Planetary Undersurface Tool, or PLUTO), to be deployed by the arm. PLUTO has a compressed spring mechanism designed to enable it to move across the surface at a rate of 20 mm per second and to burrow into the ground and collect a subsurface sample in a cavity in its tip. The mole is attached to the lander by a power cable which could be used as a winch to bring the sample back to the lander.

The lander has the shape of a shallow bowl with a diameter of 1m and a depth of 0.25 m. The cover of the lander is hinged and folded open to reveal the interior of the craft which holds a UHF antenna, the 0.75 m long robot arm, and the scientific equipment. The main body also contains the battery, telecommunications, electronics, and central processor, heaters, and additional payload items (radiation and oxidation sensors). The lid itself further should have unfolded to expose four disk-shaped solar arrays. The lander package has a mass of 69 kg at launch but the actual lander was only 33.2 kg at touchdown.

The ground segment itself was derived from the European Space Agency software kernel known as SCOS2000. In keeping with the low cost theme of the mission, the control software was the first of its type deployed on a laptop.

Mission profile

Mars Express launched from Baikonur on 2 June 2003, at 17:45 UTC (18:45 BST). Beagle 2 was a Mars lander initially mounted on the top deck of the Mars Express Orbiter. It was released from the Orbiter on a ballistic trajectory towards Mars on 19 December 2003 at 8:31 UT. Beagle 2 coasted for six days after release and was scheduled to enter the Martian atmosphere, at over 20,000 km/h, on the morning of 25 December. The lander was protected from the heat of entry by a heat shield coated with NORCOAT, an ablating material made by EADS. Compression of the Martian atmosphere and radiation from the hot gas are estimated to have led to a peak heating rate of around 100 W/cm², comparable to the heat flux experienced by Mars Pathfinder.

After deceleration in the Martian atmosphere, parachutes deployed and about 200 m above the surface large airbags inflated around the lander to protect it when it hit the surface. Landing occurred at about 02:45 UT on 25 December (9:45 p.m. EST 24 December). After landing the bags deflated and the top of the lander opened. However only two of the four solar panels deployed. A signal was supposed to be sent to Mars Express after landing and another the next (local) morning to confirm that Beagle 2 survived the landing and the first night on Mars. A panoramic image of the landing area was then supposed to be taken using the stereo camera and a pop-up mirror, after which the lander arm would have been released. The lander arm was to dig up samples to be deposited in the various instruments for study, and the "mole" would have been deployed, crawling across the surface to a distance of about 3 metres from the lander and burrowing under rocks to collect soil samples for analysis.

The British government spent more than £22 million (US$40 million) on Beagle 2, with the remainder of the total £44 million (US$80 million) coming from the private sector.[5]

Mission failure

Although the Beagle 2 craft successfully deployed from the Mars Express "mother ship", confirmation of a successful landing was not forthcoming. Confirmation should have come on 25 December 2003, when Beagle 2 should have contacted NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft that was already in orbit. In the following days, the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank also failed to pick up a signal from Beagle 2. The team said they were "still hopeful" of finding a successful return signal.

Attempts were made throughout January and February 2004 to contact Beagle 2 using Mars Express. The first of these occurred on 7 January 2004, but ended in failure. Although regular calls were made, particular hope was placed on communication occurring on 12 January, when Beagle 2 was pre-programmed to expect the Mars Express probe to fly overhead, and on 2 February, when the probe was supposed to resort to the last communication back-up mode: Auto-transmit. However, no communication was ever established with Beagle 2. Beagle 2 was declared lost on 6 February 2004, by the Beagle 2 Management Board. On 11 February, ESA announced an inquiry would be held into the failure of Beagle 2.[6]

On 20 December 2005 Professor Pillinger released specially processed images from the Mars Global Surveyor which suggested that Beagle 2 came down in a crater at the landing site on Isidis Planitia.[7] It was claimed that the blurry images showed the primary impact site as a dark patch and, a short distance away, Beagle 2 surrounded by the deflated airbags and with its solar panels extended.[8] However, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter‍ '​s HiRISE camera subsequently observed the area, in February 2007, and revealed that the crater was empty.[9]

Professor Pillinger himself has said[10] that higher than expected levels of dust in the Martian atmosphere, which captures heat, caused it to expand and reduce in density, so that the parachutes were not able to slow the probe sufficiently. This would cause the landing to be too hard, damaging or destroying the probe.

A number of other failure theories were produced at the time.[11] If the Martian atmosphere was thinner than expected, that would have reduced the parachute's effectiveness and therefore caused the lander to "plummet" and hit the surface with enough speed to destroy it.[11] Turbulence in the atmosphere, which would affect the parachute, was also examined.[11]

Failures in missions to Mars are common. As of 2010, of 38 launch attempts to reach the planet, only 19 have succeeded. Failures are sometimes informally called the Mars Curse.

ESA/UK inquiry report

David Southwood, pictured in 2012. At the time of the Beagle 2 landing he was Director of Science and Robotic Exploration at the European Space Agency.

In May 2004, the report from the Commission of Inquiry on Beagle 2 was submitted to ESA and the UK's science minister Lord Sainsbury.[12] Initially the full report was not published on the grounds of confidentiality, but a list of 19 recommendations was announced to the public.

Professor David Southwood, ESA's director of science, provided four scenarios of possible failures:

In addition, further scenarios appeared plausible and consistent with the available body of data:

In February 2005, following comments from the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology, the report was made public, and Leicester University independently published a detailed mission report, including possible failure modes, and a "lessons learned" pamphlet.

Discovery

Overview
Context
Close-up
Discovery images of Beagle 2, taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in November and December 2014.[2]

The location of Beagle 2 on Mars was unknown from late 2003 to early 2015. On 16 January 2015, more than eleven years after its loss, news sources confirmed that the lander had been located intact on the surface of Mars by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.[2][3][13] It was discovered on the surface of Isidis Planitia at 11°31′35″N 90°25′46″E / 11.5265°N 90.4295°E[14][15] in images taken by NASA‍‍ '​‍s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The landers landing is close to the planned location approximately 1,800 miles (2,900 km) from the Curiosity rover.[16]

Imaging analysis showed the probe on the surface and partially deployed, in the expected landing area, with its parachute and back cover nearby. Although multiple interpretations of the image are possible, all involve only partial deployment of the probe's solar panels. Images suggest that one of the "petals" on which the solar panels of the lander are mounted failed to fully open, preventing deployment of its radio antenna and blocking communication.[2][3][13][17] As the probe's antenna is beneath the last panel, it is unable to transmit or receive in this state and is beyond recovery. Possible scenarios include mechanical damage during landing, fouling the deployment mechanism, or obstruction of the panels by an airbag.

Follow-on mission proposals

Features of the design have been proposed for other mission concepts:[18]

Image map of Mars

The following imagemap of the planet Mars has embedded links to geographical features in addition to the noted Rover and Lander locations. Click on the features and you will be taken to the corresponding article pages. North is at the top; Elevations: red (higher), yellow (zero), blue (lower).

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bell, Edwin (26 August 2014). "Beagle 2". National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Webster, Guy (16 January 2015). "'Lost' 2003 Mars Lander Found by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter". NASA. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Mars Orbiter Spots Beagle 2, European Lander Missing Since 2003". New York Times. Associated Press. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sims, M. R. (2004). Beagle 2 Mission Report. Leicester UK: University of Leicester. p. 1. ISBN 1898489351.
  5. ↑ Wardell, Jane (24 May 2004). "Beagle Mission Hampered by Funding, Management Problems". Space.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  6. ↑ "UK and ESA announce Beagle 2 inquiry". ESA. 11 February 2004.
  7. ↑ "Possible evidence found for Beagle 2 location". ESA. 21 December 2005. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  8. ↑ Ghosh, Pallab (20 December 2005). "Beagle 2 probe 'spotted' on Mars". BBC News. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  9. ↑ "Portion of Beagle 2 Landing Ellipse in Isidis Planitia (PSP_002347915)". HiRISE. University of Arizona. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  10. ↑ Private conversation with Professor Pillinger, 2007
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Hogan, Jenny (8 March 2004). "Beagle 2 may have sped to its death". New Scientist (Reed Business Information Ltd.). Archived from the original on 18 March 2004.
  12. ↑ Bonnefoy, R.; Link, D.; Casani, J.; Vorontsov, V.A.; Engstrom, F.; Wolf, P.; Jude, R.; Patti, B. & Jones, C. (5 April 2005). "Beagle 2 ESA/UK Commission of Inquiry" (PDF). ESA and UK Ministry of Science and Innovation. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Amos, Jonathan (16 January 2015). "Lost Beagle2 probe found 'intact' on Mars". BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  14. ↑ Ellison, Doug (16 January 2015). "re Beagle 2 location on Mars => "Using HiView on image ESP_039308_1915_COLOR.JP2 I get 90.4295E 11.5265N"". Twitter & JPL. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  15. ↑ Grecicius, Tony; Dunbar, Brian (16 January 2015). "Components of Beagle 2 Flight System on Mars". NASA. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  16. ↑ Rice, Tony (18 January 2015). "Could Curiosity Help Save Beagle 2". WRAL-TV.
  17. ↑ Katz, Gregory (16 January 2015). "Missing Mars Lander Found!". Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Gibson, E. K.; Pillinger, C. T.; Wright, I.P.; Hurst, S.J.; Richter, L. & Sims, M.R. (June 2012). How do you answer the life on Mars question? Use multiple small landers like Beagle 2. Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration (2012). Houston, Texas. (2nd to last paragraph on second page)
  19. ↑ Randerson, James (23 September 2007). "New chance for Beagle as Nasa favours mission to the moon". The Guardian.

External links

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