- The orbiter Mars Express failed to make contact with
the Beagle 2 probe in the first of four attempts, European Space Agency
(ESA) officials revealed.
-
- "I have to make a sad announcement," ESA's
scientific director David Southwood said Wednesday. "Today, we were
in very good conditions to get communication with Beagle 2. But we didn't
get any ... signal."
-
- Speaking at a press conference at the Mars Express mission
headquarters in Darmstadt, southwestern Germany, he noted that three additionals
attempts would be made over the next three days, saying: "This is
not the end of the story. We have more shots to play."
-
- The signal that the scientists were listening for is
a nine-note ditty specially written for the little probe by the British
rock group Blur.
-
- Mars Express, with systems purpose-built to make contact
with Beagle 2, passed right over the robot at an altitude of 375 kilometers
(235 miles) on Wednesday.
-
- "Mars is an unforgiving place. ... It's hard for
us, but we are gaining experience," Southwood said. "We have
a lot to look forward to. In my view, Mars remains the most important planet
for space exploration."
-
- The saga of Beagle 2 -- named after the ship on which
Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution in the 19th century --
coincides with last weekend's successful landing on Mars of NASA's rover
Spirit.
-
- Spirit has already begun to send fantastic high-resolution
postcards back to Earth, helping scientists to determine if there has ever
been some form of life on the fourth planet from the sun.
-
- Southwood said of the Spirit probe: "I hope you
all know that a major American success has been gained this week the hard
way."
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