UK's Beagle 2 Mars Lander Mission in Photos

Beagle 2 Found on Mars

In 2014, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured these images of the lost Beagle 2 lander on the surface of the Red Planet. This image shows the various components of the lander, which was lost on Mars in 2003. — NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona/University of Leicester

Officials have confirmed that NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted the United Kingdom's Beagle 2 lander on Mars. The probe has been lost since 2003. See photos of the Beagle 2 lander's discovery, as well as its mission plan, in our gallery here. Read the Full Story of Beagle 2.

Beagle 2 on Mars in Color

Officials think that the Beagle 2 lander (seen as a bright spot here) partially deployed its solar panels when it reached the surface of Mars in 2003. European Space Agency officials lost contact with the lander after it was released down to the surface o — NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona/University of Leicester

Officials now think that Beagle 2 (seen as a bright spot here) managed to partially deploy its solar panels on the surface of Mars in 2003. Ground controllers weren't sure if the probe made it safely to the planet's surface until now. Read the Full Story of Beagle 2.

Closeup of Beagle 2

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image of the United Kingdom's Beagle 2 lander. The European Space Agency lost contact with the probe in 2003. — NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona/University of Leicester

A close-up image of Beagle 2 as seen from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveals the spacecraft lost since 2003. Read the Full Story of Beagle 2.

Beagle 2 Lander Art

This artist's interpretation shows what the United Kingdom's Beagle 2 lander would have looked like if it deployed properly on Mars. Image uploaded Jan. 16, 2015. — ESA/Denman productions

This artist's image shows Beagle 2 as it should have been deployed on the Red Planet. Read the Full Story of Beagle 2.

Beagle 2 on Mars

Alien Life-Searching Techniques Tested — All rights reserved Beagle 2, www.beagle2.com

Another artist's impression of the Beagle 2 lander if it had deployed properly on the Red Planet. Read the Full Story of Beagle 2.

Model of Europe's Beagle 2 Mars Lander

This model of Beagle 2 shows the Mars lander at Sandy Quarry, Bedfordshire, England. Read the Full Story of Beagle 2.

Entry, Descent, Landing

An infographic detailing Europe's Beagle 2 lander's flight profile.

UK Space Agency

An infographic detailing Europe's Beagle 2 lander's flight profile. Image uploaded on Jan. 16, 2015.

Entry, Descent and Landing Beagle 2

The entry, descent and landing sequence for Europe's Beagle 2 Lander. Image uploaded on Jan. 16, 2015.

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Miriam Kramer joined Space.com as a Staff Writer in December 2012. Since then, she has floated in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight, felt the pull of 4-Gs in a trainer aircraft and watched rockets soar into space from Florida and Virginia. She also served as Space.com's lead space entertainment reporter, and enjoys all aspects of space news, astronomy and commercial spaceflight. Miriam has also presented space stories during live interviews with Fox News and other TV and radio outlets. She originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee where she and her family would take trips to dark spots on the outskirts of town to watch meteor showers every year. She loves to travel and one day hopes to see the northern lights in person. Miriam is currently a space reporter with Axios, writing the Axios Space newsletter. You can follow Miriam on Twitter.