Beagle set for festive encounter

Posted by tourdemars to Mars Express at November 11, 2003 12:00 PM

The British-built Mars lander, Beagle 2, is on schedule to reach the Martian surface on Christmas Day. Mission officials say its parent space craft, Mars Express, has survived a massive solar storm and is within 20 million kilometres of the Red Planet. Beagle 2 is due to descend through the Martian atmosphere and touch down on 25 December, 2003.