ESA PR 83-2003. This morning, ESA's Mars Express flawlessly released the Beagle 2 lander that it has been carrying since its launch on 2 June this year.

 

Beagle 2 is now on its journey towards the surface of Mars, where it is expected to land early in the morning of 25 December.

 

http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEM2T0374OD_0.html

 

Home of Beagle 2: http://www.beagle2.com/index.htm

 

Events time line http://www.beagle2.com/landing/timeline.htm

Awesome! I heard this was one of the higher risk phases of the mission. Good to see it succeed!

yeah! it was way cool! we watched it live on Sky News yesterday, and we too were on the edge of our seats waiting for more news, we live in interesting times for sure!

 

there`s also an American mars explorer due for touchdown as well. I`m not 100% sure, but is it the Mars Rover 2003?

well anyway, on it contains a CD, and amongst other things, it has peoples names on it (you could enter this info on a special website, we signed it in 2001 and have our Certificates on the wall also). IF it gets there safely "YT2095" should be on Mars soon

 

and no, I`m NOT joking!

It seems Beagle2 didn't make it.

 

If you see al the things that have to happen without problem on the right time then it obvious is almost like a shot in the dark knowing that they sometimes struggle to get a solar panel open of a simple earth satellite and that isn't even put on a fixed timeline.

I hear it`s batteries are good for at least 20 days, the initial signal to check the transmitter didn`t arrive, or rather wasn`t picked up at the Jodrel Bank tracking station, there will be a second attempt today (as these signals are pre-programed times only) to pick up signals using the NASA Explorer craft, the orbiter cannot send its own signals down to beagle, so as of yet it`s a one way communication. I wish them Good luck for todays atempt though, should be sometime later this afternoon UK time.