Mars Express attempts communication with Beagle 2 (Forwarded)

Particle Physics & Astronomy Research Council
Swindon, U.K.

Contact:
Peter Barratt
Email:

Gill Ormrod
Tel: +44 (0)1793-442012
Email:

Julia Maddock
Tel: +44 (0)1793-442094
Email:

5 January 2004

Media Invite: Mars Express attempts communication with Beagle 2

Members of the press are invited to attend a 'live' opportunity to monitor the
success of the first attempt to communicate with Beagle 2 via Mars Express. The
orbiter is scheduled to fly over the Beagle 2 site at 12.13 GMT. The result of
this communication opportunity will be announced live during the briefing by
Professor Colin Pillinger. It will be posisble to follow this brieifng online
and to listen in by telephone. Email the address below for details.

All members of the media wishing to attend should register in advance by e-mailing


Media Invite: Mars Express attempts communication with Beagle 2

11:30 am GMT, 7th January 2004

Beagle 2 Media Centre
The Open University
1-11 Hawley Crescent
Camden, London

Notes for Editors

There has been no response from the Beagle 2 transceiver during the 11
programmed passes. Unfortunately, the last four contact opportunities
pre-programmed into Beagle 2's computer no longer coincide with Mars Express on
its current orbit, so the team is now relying on the spacecraft switching to
various back-up communication modes.

The mission team is now waiting for the lander to switch to one of its backup
communication modes. Beagle 2 could already be operating in 'communication
search mode 1', during which it listens for 80 minutes during both the Martian
day and night in an effort to establish contact with an available orbiter.

If no link is established by this method, 'communication search mode 2' should
eventually be activated. The earliest date by which this mode could become
operational was 3 January.
In this mode, the receiver is on for 59 minutes out of every hour throughout the
Martian day, and the spacecraft sends a carrier signal five times in each
daylight hour. During the Martian night, Beagle 2's receiver will be on for one
minute out of every five, but there is no carrier signal.

Although Mars Odyssey will continue to search for the lander, Mars Express will
soon become the prime communication link with Beagle 2. ESA's orbiter should
pass over the Beagle 2 landing site regularly from 7 January onwards. Various
modes of communication can be attempted during passes by Mars Express, although
the team anticipates starting on 7 and 8 January with the standard 'hail and
command' which has been used with Mars Odyssey.

The first four passes with Mars Express (7, 8, 9 and 10 January) are almost
directly over the landing site and only 5 to 8 minutes long, so they are not
ideal for communication, whereas the opportunities on 12 and 14 January are
potentially much longer.

The Beagle 2 Media Centre is located at:

The Open University – Camden Offices
1-11 Hawley Crescent
Camden, London NW1 8NP
Tel: +44 (0)1908-332015 or +44 (0)1908-332017
Fax: +44 (0)1908-332016

For further details on Beagle 2 and Mars Express see the following websites:

* http://www.beagle2.com
* http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Mars
* http://www.esa.int/mars