On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 22:57:02 GMT, Brian Thorn
wrote:

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 21:02:27 GMT, (Christopher)
wrote:

They've got no
Congressional authorization to do so, other than unmanned probes.

And even with those they are going to be coming second next year.

Huh? Beagle 2 will be the *fourth* successful Mars lander, assuming it
is successful (which is far from certain.) Beagle follows...

Viking 1 (USA) 1976
Viking 2 (USA) 1976
Pathfinder / Sojourner (USA) 1997

True, but in the current crop the US probes will be arriving later
then our Beagle 2.

And Mars Express's arrival in Mars orbit will be greeted by two
operational US spacecraft (Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey)
already there.

They are not landers though.



Christopher
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
"There's a light at the end
of the tunnel" says the optimist.
"It's probably a train coming
stright at us" responds the pessimist.