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Top ten spacecraft

By Ian Morris on 19 June 2008, 5:36pm

10. Mars Express/Beagle 2
Squeaking into the top ten through patriotism rather than any real spacefaring merit, Beagle 2 was a British innovation that could have made a significant contribution to our understanding of Mars. If it hadn't broken into a million pieces.

Britain has never had any sort of manned space programme, but that hasn't stopped us from being as enthusiastic about all things spacey as our trans-Atlantic cousins. In 2003 it looked like we might get our chance at being a part of something special when Beagle 2 was scheduled to land on the surface of Mars, having been conveyed there on the ESA's Mars Express. The mission was conceived by Professor Colin Pillinger, who instantly became the UK's favourite mad, whiskery scientist.

As we all know, Beagle 2 was destroyed by Decepticons on the surface of Mars. Had it survived, it was to send back detailed information about the surface of everyone's favourite red planet, and tell us about what sort of life might have been there in the past. A jolly good try, nonetheless.

Photo credit: ESA

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