NASA rules out Beagle resurrection

[alexblackwell]

NASA rules out Beagle resurrection<br />By Lucy Sherriff<br />The Register<br />Published Friday 1st October 2004 16:27 GMT

 

[najab]

Quel suprise...<img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

 

[flynn]

I've supported Beagle II since day 1, but every time Colin Pillinger opens his mouth he just puts things back further. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

From the article:<br /><i>"Someone will have done the science by the time we get there in 2013," Pillinger said, "and I don't see the point in 'me too' science projects".</i><br /><br />Can Pillinger really think that NASA's 2009 Mars Science Laboratory will be so successful that any further missions to Mars by ESA will be unecessary? I can't believe it. On one hand he says that no one can do the science that his Beagle can do. On the other hand, he says if they (ESA) wait too long, NASA will have already done all the necessary science on Mars. I think his deep disappointment at not getting his Beagle successfully to Mars has clouded his judgement.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[dreada5]

AFAIK, the 2009 mission is still on the books at ESA and there's a good possibility the lander will be called Beagle 3, now that us Brits are paying. I think ExoMars will probably get pushed back to 2011. In any case, I'm sure Pillinger's science packages will return to the red planet eventually, he's to influential to science in the UK to take a back seat now. The challenge is just to keep what were doing in the Aurora programme novel and that's hard for ESA when they consider NASA! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />