Beagle 2 Could Have Settled the Argument of 'Life on Mars'

Look at all this technology! Orbiters circling Mars, rovers running on the surface… But how many of them are able to say whether or not life was or is present on the Red Planet? None. Of course, the Beagle 2 probe carried by the Mars Express orbiter had such capabilities until contact was lost upon separation. Not much is known about the whereabouts of the Beagle 2 probe, but the general belief is that either it was destroyed by the impact with the Martian surface or it burned into the atmosphere; there’s also the possibility that it may still be intact somewhere on the ground, or in orbit.

But that is not the issue here; the problem is that the mission failed. Recent investigations made by Derek Pullan of the University of Leicester by using the same instruments carried by the Beagle 2 on rock samples here on Earth, revealed that the British probe would have been capable of distinguishing between a rock and a bacteria.

The rock samples used in the experiment were similar to those regularly found on Mars and although all the tests were carried out in laboratory conditions, the team is certain they have established an environment identical to that experienced by a probe on the surface of the Red Planet. Experimental results show that the instruments on board Beagle 2 were ideal for its missions and would have worked especially well when used simultaneously.

The mission was routinely plagued by financial problems, but the microscope carried by Beagle 2 would have been as effective as some of the most expensive models. Additionally, researchers have shown how close the instrument would need to get to the rock sample in order to make an accurate detection. Robots are generally chosen as explorers of bodies in the solar system because of the risks involved in manned space flight, even though robotic missions can be just as expensive as any other manned mission.

Furthermore, a manned mission would also need to get back to Earth, which may prove somewhat of a problem due to the extra amount of fuel required for such an action. Robots on the other hand, could remain on a distant planet for an indefinite amount of time to conduct scientific investigations and be powered by electric energy generated through solar panels. But then again, such complex instruments are not easy to built, especially when you worry about weight and size all the time.

The Planetary Analogue Field Studies Network has the role of planning and carrying out field experiments that would give spacecraft designers an idea of how a certain instrument should behave, but also provide information to mission engineers and planetary scientists. This would ultimately make future missions to other bodies in the solar system as efficient as possible. In fact, it may be that robots have a better chance of making first contact than a human being.


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