Radio Silence Initiated to Tempt Beagle 2 from its Hiding Place
Once again there was no signal from Beagle 2 this morning when the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Mars Express orbiter passed over the landing site around 02:02 GMT.
Prof. Colin Pillinger, Beagle 2 Lead Scientist, was present at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) when the data came through and although the news was disappointing, Prof. Pillinger was encouraged by the continued support and determination of the team at the ESA mission control centre to continue the search.
The next phase will be to initiate a period of radio silence where no communication attempts will be made until the 22nd January. Adopting this approach will force Beagle 2 into communication search mode 2 (CSM2) where the probe will automatically transmit a signal throughout the Martian Day (power is still conserved during the night).
The results from future communication attempts will be posted on the Beagle 2 and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council’s (PPARC) websites.
