Re: Yes
While visiting Paris for an astronomy encounter, I met a friend who works at the ESTEC in Holland (he's French, not Dutch) for ESA.
I told him: what's that story about the last minute parachute replacement?
He answered: it's not the parachute, it's those airbags, the AIRBAGS!!
Flawed...no good, very pessimistic....etc...Well...I assume that if it fails, the ESA knows it won't be blamed because they didn't pay for Beagle 2 Their responsability is the Orbiter.
Raoul