There have been many incorrect assumptions made in the correspondence that has been posted on this notice board. I can assure any readers that the Beagle 2 parachute has been designed using some of the most modern design tools available to decelerator engineers. The Beagle 2 parachute has been robustly designed and tested (far beyond the one test publicised by the BBC). Its performance exceeds the mission requirements. I would recommend that any sceptics out there wait for technical papers that will be published as part of the AIAA Decelerator Conference which is scheduled in 2003 in Monterey CA and enlighten themselves to the real story.