Hi List, I would assume that the "...leading expert of the Agency" mentioned the probable cause of Beagle-2 failure, as a METEOROID, - and not a "meteorite" - hitting the rover during its flight to Mars - news reporters (in any country!) seldom do get the Astronomy/Astronautics story right...even when the story is told by experts.
In fact, under the Subject Title of this email, R.B. (always very sharp), has it right. Good! José -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Ron Baalke Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 9:27 PM To: Meteorite Mailing List Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteoroid Impact A Possible (But Unlikely) Cause of Beagle 2 Failure http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=302256&PageNum=0 Meteorite is possible cause of Beagle-2 collapse ITAR-TASS News Agency January 13, 2004 FRANKFURT-ON-MAINE (Itar-Tass) -- A meteorite might have ruined the Beagle-2 rover of the European Space Agency. The meteorite might have hit the rover during the nearly seven-months flight to Mars, a leading expert of the Agency said on Tuesday. He noted that the Beagle-2 rover had been installed outside the Mars Express interplanetary station. The rover undocked from the station on December 19, 2003, and was silent during the ballistic descent till December 25. A minor damage of the rover?s thermal protection by a meteorite could have catastrophic consequences, the same as it was in the Columbia shuttle disaster, the expert said. The rover entered the Martian atmosphere, and gases up to 1,200 degrees hot might have penetrated inside the Beagle-2 and ruined it. It is also possible that the main parachute and cushion gasbags appeared to be defunct in landing. The loss of the Beagle-2 rover was a predictable risk, as more than a half of three dozens of expeditions to Mars failed, the expert said. He said he was not surprised at the successful landing of the U.S. Spirit rover on Mars. NASA launched the first probe to Mars forty years ago, and Beagle-2 was the first attempt of the European Space Agency, the expert noted. ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.560 / Virus Database: 352 - Release Date: 1/8/2004 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.560 / Virus Database: 352 - Release Date: 1/8/2004 ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
