Mars Lander Heads for Red Planet
Beagle 2 Slips from Mars Express Toward Planet Surface
Copyright ESA
A photo of Beagle 2, as it slowly drifts away from Mars Express, Dec. 19, 2003.
Illustration by Medialab, ESA
A computer illustration of the Mars Express in Mars orbit.
The latest effort to find signs of life on Mars relies on a small spinning saucer named Beagle 2. The European Space Agency lander separated from the Mars Express mother ship Friday and is scheduled to land on the Red Planet on Christmas day.
The Beagle 2 -- named in honor of the ship that carried Charles Darwin to the Galapagos -- will test Martian rocks for a specific mix of carbon atoms and sniff the air for methane, either of which could be evidence of life. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
Related NPR Stories
New Probes Set to Land on Mars Dec. 12, 2003
Mineral on Mars Offers Clues to Climate Oct. 24, 2003
Fleet of Spacecraft Head for the Red Planet June 11, 2003
'Beyond: Visions of the Interplanetary Probes' Oct. 18, 2003
Comments
Discussions for this story are now closed. Please see the Community FAQ for more information.