Beagle 2: the exobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission

Mark R. Sims; C. T. Pillinger; I. P. Wright; G. Morgan; George W. Fraser; D. Pullan; S. Whitehead; J. Dowson; Richard E. Cole; Alan A. Wells; L. Richter; H. Kochan; Hans Hamacher; Alan Johnstone; A. J. Coates; S. C. Peskett; A. Brack; J. Clemmet; R. Slade; N. Phillips; C. Berry; A. Senior; J. S. Lingard; J. C. Underwood; John C. Zarnecki; Mark E. Towner; M. Leese; A. Gambier-Parry; Nicolas Thomas; Jean-Luc Josset; G. Klingelhoefer

doi:10.1117/12.375066

30 December 1999 Beagle 2: the exobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission

Mark R. Sims, C. T. Pillinger, I. P. Wright, G. Morgan, George W. Fraser, D. Pullan, S. Whitehead, J. Dowson, Richard E. Cole, Alan A. Wells, L. Richter, H. Kochan, Hans Hamacher, Alan Johnstone, A. J. Coates, S. C. Peskett, A. Brack, J. Clemmet, R. Slade, N. Phillips, C. Berry, A. Senior, J. S. Lingard, J. C. Underwood, John C. Zarnecki, Mark E. Towner, M. Leese, A. Gambier-Parry, Nicolas Thomas, Jean-Luc Josset, G. Klingelhoefer

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3755, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology II; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.375066
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

The 60 kg Beagle 2 lander for ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission will be described. Beagle 2 will search for organic material on and below the surface of Mars in addition to a study of the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy of the landing site. The lander will utilize a mechanical mole and grinder to obtain samples from below the surface, under rocks, and inside rocks. Such samples will be returned to the lander for detailed analysis. Analysis will include examination of samples and rocks and soils with an optical microscope and X-ray Spectrometer and Mossbauer Spectrometers as well as a search for organics and a measurement of their isotopic composition. The lander systems design as well as the experiment configuration will be described along with the status of the project.

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Mark R. Sims, C. T. Pillinger, I. P. Wright, G. Morgan, George W. Fraser, D. Pullan, S. Whitehead, J. Dowson, Richard E. Cole, Alan A. Wells, L. Richter, H. Kochan, Hans Hamacher, Alan Johnstone, A. J. Coates, S. C. Peskett, A. Brack, J. Clemmet, R. Slade, N. Phillips, C. Berry, A. Senior, J. S. Lingard, J. C. Underwood, John C. Zarnecki, Mark E. Towner, M. Leese, A. Gambier-Parry, Nicolas Thomas, Jean-Luc Josset, and G. Klingelhoefer "Beagle 2: the exobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission", Proc. SPIE 3755, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology II, (30 December 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.375066

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