How Did Beagle 2 Navigate Its Final Approach to Mars?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the navigation and fate of the Beagle 2 lander as it approached Mars, including concerns about its missing status and comparisons to previous Mars missions. Participants explore the implications of its landing mechanics, communication issues, and the broader context of Mars exploration failures.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that Beagle 2 was expected to land within a smaller ellipse than originally planned, suggesting a successful navigation up to that point.
  • Others express frustration over the inability to establish contact with Beagle 2, drawing parallels to the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter and other missions.
  • There is a question about whether the wreckage of the Mars Climate Orbiter has been found, with some asserting that it crashed due to a unit conversion error.
  • Speculation arises regarding the possibility of Beagle 2 being in a crater, with some suggesting that orbiters might be able to adjust their paths to detect a signal.
  • Concerns are raised about the lack of communication capabilities in the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) to pick up signals from Beagle 2.
  • A humorous suggestion is made about the potential for life on Mars to be aware of Beagle 2, with a fictional narrative about aliens reacting to its presence.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of concern and speculation regarding Beagle 2's status, with no consensus on its fate or the effectiveness of communication strategies among the various Mars missions.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the specific conditions of Beagle 2's landing and the technical capabilities of orbiters and rovers to communicate with it. The discussion reflects uncertainty about the outcomes of past missions and the implications for future explorations.

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As part of Beagle 2 interest, I thought I'd post the mailshot I receive.

Latest:Beagle 2 is currently traveling the last miles of its journey to the Red Planet alone and without any propulsion systems of its own. Thanks to the careful alignment of Mars Express on 19th December and accuracy of the spin-up and eject mechanism it is now believed that Beagle 2 is heading for a landing ellipse measuring 80km by 15km, much smaller than originally envisaged.

Please see the full story on www.beagle2.com.
 
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Beagle 2 should have landed yet, but unfortunately is impossible to make contact with it
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994514

It's frustrating the amount of failures that are accumulating in the last missions to Mars, for example the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter in 1999. It seems that is not a unique problem of NASA, now ESA wants to join the failure club.



Edited to correct typo
 
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Fustrating. :frown:

Did they ever confirm for certain what happened to the Mars Climate Orbiter? Has it (or its wreckage) ever been found or detected?
 
Aw crap. Beagle still missing...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/12/29/beagle.missing.ap/index.html

Japan lost its Nozomi mission to Mars back in early December too.

NASA still has the Spirit and Opportunity missions about to land on Mars (planned for Jan 3, 2004 and Jan 24, 2004 respectively). Keep your fingers crossed (or whatever the Martian equivalent is).
 
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Originally posted by Phobos
Aw crap. Beagle still missing...
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/12/29/beagle.missing.ap/index.html

Japan lost its Nozomi mission to Mars back in early December too.

NASA still has the Spirit and Opportunity missions about to land on Mars (planned for Jan 3, 2004 and Jan 24, 2004 respectively). Keep your fingers crossed (or whatever the Martian equivalent is).


Keep your fingers crossed (or whatever the Martian equivalent is). I believe it's :Keep your tentacles crossed!

Actually the best communication window is set for the 7th of January04, that's when the mothership is at its optimum orbit for a direct overhead pass for the Beagle's 'intended landing zone'.

P.S The whole purpose of the Beagle is to trawl for 'Life', I wonder if there is genuine life there, and if so would this lifeform be 'communicating' with itself?..maybe the initial warning echo of :THE ALIENS ARE COMING!..THE ALIENS ARE COMING! have rung out across the Martian landscape..and the Beagle craft has been carted off to..maybe a 'coat-hanger No2?'at AREA 15?, and is currently being systematically back-engineered?[b(]
 
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MCO - communication problem among (Earthly) teams

Originally posted by phi1978
Fustrating. :frown:

Did they ever confirm for certain what happened to the Mars Climate Orbiter? Has it (or its wreckage) ever been found or detected?
Certain? Yes; it crashed. Wreckage? Not seen yet, unlikely to be seen, even with Mars Express.

Cause of failure? One team used metric units, the other English; failure was guarranteed. Details:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/orbiter/
 
well if it is in a crator, they said they might be able to get a signal with one of the orbiters by changing its path slightly.

I am surprised NASA didn't equip the MERs to pick up a beagle signal... I am sure they can probably contact each other
 
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You'd think that at least one of the craft we've got (or will have) orbitting will have an omni-directional antenna. At least you'd hope that they would...