Artist's impression of Mars Express in orbit around Mars. (Image: ESA)
The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Mars Express spacecraft in June 2003. The mission was intended to provide a flight opportunity for re-builds of experiments lost as a result of the Russian Mars "96 launch failure and reached Mars at Christmas 2003. The re-build allowed several instruments to be improved and upgraded. However, a completely novel element of the Mars Express payload was the Beagle 2 lander.
Artist's impression of Beagle 2 on the Martian surface. (Image: ESA)
Beagle 2 was designed to descend through the atmosphere of Mars to the surface using a combination of aerobraking, parachutes, and airbags. After coming to rest in the Isidis Planitia region of Mars, (260-270º W, 5-10º N) [Bridges et al., 2000, 2003], the lander was to deploy solar panels and begin scientific operations. The scientific payload comprised an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, a Mössbauer spectrometer, a stereo camera system, a stepped combustion mass spectrometer (GAP), a sampling device ("PLUTO"), a set of environmental sensors, and a microscope [Sims et al., 2000].
The PAW of Beagle 2. (All Rights Reserved Beagle 2)
Most of the experiments (the exceptions being the GAP and the environmental sensors) were mounted on a robotic arm referred to here as the ARM. The end of the ARM had a flat experiment "platform", referred to as the PAW (position adjustable workbench), on which the experiments were mounted. In addition to the experiments, a grinding and coring tool was also available on the PAW to scratch and flatten surfaces of rocks within reach of the ARM.
The PIGs were involved in the development and testing of the microscope system for Beagle 2. We describe here the aims and performance of the microscope.