ESA's Mars Express: The Search for Life and the Mystery of Beagle 2

The European Space Agency has launched its first probe, Mars Express, to Mars to search for signs of life. The probe, launched atop a Russian Soyuz booster, is in orbit, but the fate of its lander, Beagle 2, is unknown. The Mars Express orbiter is intended to relay communications for Beagle 2, but until its orbit is correct, NASA's Odyssey was to be used. No signals have been received from Beagle 2, and its status is uncertain. Efforts to locate it using radio telescopes have been unsuccessful. Mars Express will continue to monitor Mars's climate and atmosphere and attempt to relay signals from Beagle 2. ESA officials remain hopeful of establishing contact.

What is the primary mission of the Mars Express probe?

• To study the Martian moons

• To explore the surface of Mars

• To establish a human colony

• To search for signs of life

Which spacecraft was initially supposed to assist Beagle 2 with communication?

• Voyager 1

• Hubble Space Telescope

• NASA's Odyssey

• Mars Express

What is the current status of the Beagle 2 Lander?

• It has crashed on the Martian surface

• Its status is unknown

• It has successfully landed and is operational

• It is orbiting Mars

What role does the Mars Express orbiter play in the mission?

• It is designed to return samples to Earth

• It is responsible for landing on Mars

• It is a backup for the Beagle 2 Lander

• It acts as a communication relay for the Beagle 2 Lander

What is the European Space Agency's current stance on the Beagle 2 mission?

• They have abandoned the mission

• They are hopeful about re-establishing contact

• They have confirmed the lander's crash

• They are planning a new mission