No contact yet with Beagle 2
Posted: Thu, Dec 25, 2003, 10:21 AM ET (1521 GMT)
The British-built Beagle 2 spacecraft landed on the surface of Mars early Thursday, but ground controllers have yet to establish communications with the spacecraft. The spacecraft was scheduled to land in the Isidis Planitia region of Mars at 9:52 pm EST Wednesday (0252 GMT Thursday). The first opportunity to receive signals from the spacecraft came three hours later, when NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft flew over the landing site; the NASA spacecraft failed to pick up any signals from Beagle 2. Project officials said the lack of communications, while a concern, does not mean the mission has failed: they point out alternative explanations such as a landing outside the expected area or an antenna not pointing in the proper direction. Another opportunity to detect signals from Beagle 2 will come Thursday evening at about 5 pm EST (2200 GMT), using the Jodrell Bank radio telescope in the UK.
The British-built Beagle 2 spacecraft landed on the surface of Mars early Thursday, but ground controllers have yet to establish communications with the spacecraft. The spacecraft was scheduled to land in the Isidis Planitia region of Mars at 9:52 pm EST Wednesday (0252 GMT Thursday). The first opportunity to receive signals from the spacecraft came three hours later, when NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft flew over the landing site; the NASA spacecraft failed to pick up any signals from Beagle 2. Project officials said the lack of communications, while a concern, does not mean the mission has failed: they point out alternative explanations such as a landing outside the expected area or an antenna not pointing in the proper direction. Another opportunity to detect signals from Beagle 2 will come Thursday evening at about 5 pm EST (2200 GMT), using the Jodrell Bank radio telescope in the UK.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, June 6
Investigation launched into Space Command delay, changed plans for building
Colorado Springs Gazette — 5:28 am ET (0928 GMT) US Space Force taps L3Harris to design missile-tracking sensor
C4ISRnet — 5:28 am ET (0928 GMT) Hughes Partners with OneWeb to Distribute Global In-Flight Connectivity Services
ViaSatellite — 5:27 am ET (0927 GMT) Hughes Launches OneWeb LEO In-Flight Solutions to Airlines Worldwide, Announces Global Distribution Partnership with OneWeb
PR Newswire — 5:27 am ET (0927 GMT) Spaceport Cornwall chief Quinn blasts off for Slingshot job
Sky News — 5:23 am ET (0923 GMT) |
