LONDON (AP)--The
British scientist behind the failed Beagle 2
probe said Tuesday he believes he has located the craft's wreckage on the
surface of Mars.
Nothing has
been heard from Beagle 2--named
for the ship that took naturalist Charles Darwin on his 19th-century voyage of
discovery--since it separated from its mother ship Dec. 19, 2003. It had been
due to land on Mars six days later.
Colin Pillinger, the lead scientist on the mission, said the
latest images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft suggested Beagle
plunged into a crater near its planned landing site.
While the
143-pound craft is too small to be seen in the pictures, Pillinger
said the crater showed signs of a heavy impact.
"There is a
lot of disturbance in this crater, particularly a big patch on the north crater
wall, which we think is the primary impact site," Pillinger
told the British Broadcasting Corp.
"There are
then other features around the crater consistent with the airbags bouncing
around and finally falling down into the middle. Then, when you cut the lace,
the airbags fall apart giving three very symmetrical triangles."
Scientists
attempted to contact Beagle for months after it disappeared before admitting
defeat.
An internal
report in 2004 gave no definitive reason for the loss of the craft but
suggested Beagle may have hit the planet's surface too hard because Mars'
atmosphere was not as dense as expected due to dust storms.
The loss of
the probe, which cost the government more than $40 million and the private
sector another $80 million, prompted questions in Britain about Europe's
ability to participate in the race to Mars.
Pillinger
is seeking funds and sponsorship for a fresh mission to Mars, possibly as early
as 2007.
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