火星驚現英國消失十多年的太空探測器大綱
The European Space Agency says a British-built space probe that disappeared more than a decade ago on Mars has been found.
The British space agency said Friday the Beagle 2 spacecraft "has been found partially deployed on the surface of the planet, ending the mystery of what happened to the mission."
The agency said the partial deployment "would explain why no signal or data was received" from the Beagle because "full deployment of all the solar panels was needed" to transmit data and receive commands from Earth.
The agency said there was "clear evidence" of the lost lander in satellite images taken by the U.S. space agency NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Officials said the find showed that "the entry, descent and landing sequence for Beagle 2 worked and the lander did successfully touch down on Mars on Christmas Day 2003."
Britain's Beagle 2 was carried to the red planet on ESA's Mars Express. The Beagle was to report back from Mars using instruments designed to help search for signs of life, but nothing was heard after it was dropped off to make its landing.
British planetary scientist Colin Pillinger who was the driving force behind the mission died last year at the age of 70.歐洲宇航局說，在火星上找到了十多年前失蹤的英國建造的太空探測器。
英國宇航局星期五說，小獵犬2號探測器一部分被部署在火星表面，從而揭開了探測器失蹤之謎。
英國宇航局說，探測器只有一部分被部署在火星上，這就是爲什麼小獵犬2號之前音信全無。探測器的所有太陽能板必須都到位，才能發出數據，並從地球接受指令。
英國宇航局說，美國航天局發射的火星勘測軌道飛行器拍攝的衛星圖像提供了確鑿證據。
這一發現顯示， 小獵犬2號探測器2003年聖誕節成功在火星着陸，下降和着陸程序沒有問題。
小獵犬2號探測器當年是由歐洲航天局的火星快車送去火星的，任務是利用尋找生命跡象的儀器，向地球發回信息。 但是探測器降落後信息全無。
推動建造這一探測器的英國行星科學家科林•皮林格去年去世，享年70歲。
