Simulations May Explain Loss of Beagle 2 Mars Probe

chrb writes "Researchers at Queensland University have used computer simulations to calculate that the loss of the US$80 million British Beagle 2 Mars probe was due to a bad choice of spin rate during atmospheric entry, resulting in the craft burning up within seconds. The chosen spin rate was calculated by using a bridging function to estimate the transitional forces between the upper and lower atmosphere, while the new research relies on simulation models. Beagle 2 team leader Professor Colin Pillinger has responded saying that the figures are far from conclusive, while another chief Beagle engineer has said 'We still think we got it right.'"

Comments

Re:Come on, it's british

[xaxa]

Name a one thing british ever made right.

Railways. Television. Electric motor. Flushing toilet. Steam engine & locomotive. Computer. Seed drill. Tank. Custard. Cat flap. Jet engine. World wide web. Penicillin.

Some Background

[Catmeat]

Beagle 2 always was an underfunded project with zero margin for error. For background, see this 2005, 2-part article by respected space historian and author, Dwayne Day.

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/330/1

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/347/1

As for Colin Pillinger, note that the (initially secret) ESA report on the Beagle failure put much of the blame on project management failings and he's not been put in charge of any large project since.

Re:How weird

[Anonymous Coward]

For something so mission critical, well... you'd think they would have more than one of them up there.

Beagle 2 was not mission critical - it was an underfunded bolt-on to Mars Express, which is doing quite nicely, thank you.

Re:Calculate This

[sleeponthemic]

I pasted your post into windows calculator as requested.

The answer was 55378008.

I suspect the polarity was reversed during the process, though. You should probably view it from a vertically inverted vantage point.