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Beagle 2 Information Note: Next Stop Mars!

December 19, 2003

We have separation! That was the message from the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, to announce that the British-built Beagle 2 spacecraft is now flying independently from its Mars Express "mother ship".

Initial confirmation that the separation manoeuvre has been successful came at 10.42 GMT, when Mars Express mission control at ESOC received telemetry data to indicate that electrical disconnection had taken place between Beagle 2 and the orbiter. This was followed at 11.12 GMT by confirmation that the two spacecraft had mechanically separated.

It is hoped that the orbiter's onboard Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC) has been able to capture images showing the slowly spinning Beagle 2 pulling away from Mars Express. If all goes well, these images should be available early this afternoon.

"I'd like to congratulate everyone who has been a part of this project, particularly the team that built the Spin up and Eject Mechanism," said UK Science Minister, Lord Sainsbury. "This is an extraordinary example of the best of British engineering as well as the best of British science."

Comparing it to a two-legged soccer match, both of which were being played away, Beagle 2 Lead Scientist Prof. Colin Pillinger said, "We've got a 1-0 result in the first leg, we're playing the second leg on Christmas Day."

The separation manoeuvre involved the use of a spring mechanism to give the lander a gentle push away from the orbiter. Now stabilised as it spins like a top at a rate of 14 rpm, Beagle 2 is pulling ahead of Mars Express at a rate of about 0.3 m/s (1 ft/s).

The separation marked the first key landmark at the beginning of a tense week for the Beagle 2 team. From now on, Beagle 2 will be on its own and looking after itself in terms of stability, power, thermal control and entry sequencing.

Following a carefully targeted ballistic trajectory, the 68.8 kg probe will remain switched off for most of the 5 million kilometre coast phase to Mars. Then, a few hours before entering the Martian atmosphere, an onboard timer will turn on the power and boot up Beagle's computer. Beagle 2 must rely on its own battery until its solar arrays are fully deployed on the surface.

Early on 25 December, Beagle 2 will plunge into the atmosphere at a speed of more than 20 000 km per hour (12,500 mph) before parachuting to its planned landing site, a broad basin close to the Martian equator, known as Isidis Planitia. Later that day, Mars Express should enter orbit around Mars.

Timeline
25th Dec        
02:47 GMT Beagle 2 enters Mars atmosphere
02:54 GMT Beagle 2 lands on Mars
03:00 GMT Mars Express orbital insertion
05:15 GMT Mars Odyssey orbiter flies over Beagle 2 - first possible signal retrieval from the lander
07:00 GMT First evaluation of Mars Express orbital insertion
07:15 GMT Sunset on Mars (18:35 local solar time)
20:02 GMT Sunrise on Mars (07:02 local solar time)
22:45 GMT Possible direct capture of Beagle 2 signals at Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK)
26th Dec        
07:55 GMT Sunset on Mars (18:36 local solar time)

Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC)