Product Description

Britain is going to Mars. Beagle 2 - a space lander shaped like a clam and no larger than a portable barbecue - is about to make history. Named after HMS Beagle, the ship in which Charles Darwin travelled around the world, Beagle 2 has hitched a ride aboard the European Space Agency Mars Express. On reaching the red planet, this tiny British space probe is designed to answer one big question: is there, or was there, life on Mars? In 'Beagle', Colin Pillinger explores the remarkable similarities between these two historic ships, the sailing ship and the spaceship, and their great voyages of exploration. Both were at the forefront of technology for their respective generations. HMS Beagle led to the discovery of the secret of life on Earth - can Beagle 2 possibly do the same for Mars?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #757731 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 180 pages

The Times
‘Watch out NASA. The British are coming.’

From the Inside Flap
'We are on our way to Mars, and no one can take that away from us . . .'

Britain is going to Mars. Beagle 2 - a space lander shaped like a clam and no larger than a portable barbecue - is about to make history. Named after HMS Beagle, the ship in which Charles Darwin travelled around the world, Beagle 2 has hitched a ride aboard the European Space Agency Mars Express. On reaching the red planet, this tiny British space probe is designed to answer one big question: is there, or was there, life on Mars?

'It is quite remarkable how little has changed in terms of exploring a planet, whether it be Earth or Mars, in 170 odd years . . .'

In ‘Beagle’, Colin Pillinger explores the remarkable similarities between these two historic ships, the sailing ship and the spaceship, and their great voyages of exploration. Both were at the forefront of technology for their respective generations. HMS Beagle led to the discovery of the secret of life on Earth - can Beagle 2 possibly do the same for Mars?

'There was nothing I wouldn't have done to raise money for Beagle . . .'

Professor Colin Pillinger conceived the Beagle 2 lander project back in 1997, and as consortium leader and lead scientist he has been involved in all stages of design, building and testing of the spacecraft. A tireless advocate for this remarkable mission, he is uniquely qualified to explore the background to this extraordinary bid to land on Mars - and explain how he enlisted the help of not only countless scientists and engineers, but also the rock band Blur and the artist Damien Hirst.

About the Author
Professor Colin Pillinger, CBE, FRS, is Head of the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute at the Open University. His particular expertise is studying extraterrestrial samples, either in the laboratory or on space missions.

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Read
This book is a must for anybody fascinated by the British probe 'Beagle 2'to Mars, and is written in constant comparison to HMS Beagle, the ship that took Charles Darwin around the world in the nineteenth century. At times the book can feel rather dis-jointed, but much information is put into its 166 pages. Colin Pillinger has now built Beagle, which is on its way to Mars this very moment - lets just hope its as successful as his book.