Instrumentation on Beagle 2: the astrobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission

Mark R. Sims; C. T. Pillinger; I. P. Wright; G. Morgan; I. J. Praine; George W. Fraser; D. Pullan; S. Whitehead; J. Dowson; Alan A. Wells; L. Richter; H. Kochan; Hans Hamacher; A. Griffiths; A. J. Coates; S. C. Peskett; A. Brack; J. Clemmet; R. Slade; N. Phillips; C. Berry; A. Senior; John C. Zarnecki; Mark E. Towner; M. Leese; Aaron P. Zent; Nicolas Thomas; Jean-Luc Josset; G. Klingelhoefer; P. van Duijn; G. Sims

doi:10.1117/12.411619

29 December 2000 Instrumentation on Beagle 2: the astrobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission

Mark R. Sims, C. T. Pillinger, I. P. Wright, G. Morgan, I. J. Praine, George W. Fraser, D. Pullan, S. Whitehead, J. Dowson, Alan A. Wells, L. Richter, H. Kochan, Hans Hamacher, A. Griffiths, A. J. Coates, S. C. Peskett, A. Brack, J. Clemmet, R. Slade, N. Phillips, C. Berry, A. Senior, John C. Zarnecki, Mark E. Towner, M. Leese, Aaron P. Zent, Nicolas Thomas, Jean-Luc Josset, G. Klingelhoefer, P. van Duijn, G. Sims

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4137, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology III; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.411619
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2000, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The instrumentation on the 60 kg Beagle 2 lander for ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission will be described. Beagle 2 will be search for organic material on and below the surface of Mars in addition to a study of the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy of the landing site. The lander will utilize acquisitions and preparation tools to obtain samples from below the surface, and both under and inside rocks. In situ analysis will include examination of samples with an optical microscope, Mossbauer and fluorescent X-ray spectrometers. Extracted samples will be returned to the lander for analysis, in particular a search for organics and a measurement of their isotopic composition. The experiment configuration and design will be described along with the status of the project.

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Mark R. Sims, C. T. Pillinger, I. P. Wright, G. Morgan, I. J. Praine, George W. Fraser, D. Pullan, S. Whitehead, J. Dowson, Alan A. Wells, L. Richter, H. Kochan, Hans Hamacher, A. Griffiths, A. J. Coates, S. C. Peskett, A. Brack, J. Clemmet, R. Slade, N. Phillips, C. Berry, A. Senior, John C. Zarnecki, Mark E. Towner, M. Leese, Aaron P. Zent, Nicolas Thomas, Jean-Luc Josset, G. Klingelhoefer, P. van Duijn, and G. Sims "Instrumentation on Beagle 2: the astrobiology lander on ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission", Proc. SPIE 4137, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology III, (29 December 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.411619

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