Nope, I don't have an article from Space.com to support my words...just talked to some Brits about the funding of Beagle II and what happened to my donated money during the 02 TMS convention.

Why don't you ask Colin what he thinks of the Mars Society...

He attend last years UK Mars Society Conventions...

***The morning got off to a flying start with Dr. Robert Zubrin appearing on the BBC News 24 morning bulletin, which not only gave him a chance to talk about the Society and Mars Direct, but which also lead directly to a number of additional attendees coming along to the event afterwards.

After the opening address from the Mars Society UK President, Bo Maxwell, the event got underway with a 75-minutes presentation and Question and Answer session with Professor Colin Pillinger of the Beagle 2 project. During his talk, Professor Pillinger reviewed the history and progress of the Beagle 2 mission, before looking towards next year and the lander's launch aboard the Mars Express mission in June 2003. He also looked at the science Beagle 2 will be taking to Mars and related it back to studies of Martian meteorites here on Earth, bringing the audience right up to date with the latest thoughts on ALH84001 and other meteorites.

Following a robust question-and-answer session, Professor Pillinger was followed by Dr. David Cullen of the Cranfield Biotechnology Institute who talked about new means and methods for detecting possible life on Mars and the development of biotechnology that might be used in future missions to Mars. In his 40-minute presentation, Dr. Cullen unfolded many of the mysteries of biotechnology, presenting their benefits in a clear and concise manner.

During the lunch period, attendees were able to spend time with Professor Pillinger and his wife Dr. Judith Pillinger and Dr. Ian Wright and Dr. Mark Sims of Beagle 2, examining the model of the lander and asking questions about the mission. Trade stands provided by the Mars Society, Lambda Press (computers software including the 3D Atlas of Mars) and Terra Publishing provided attendees to purchase more Mars-related information. By that time Dr. Zubrin had returned from the BBC News Centre in London, and was interviewed by the BBC television series "Final Frontier" for a programme to be broadcast in the UK in March 2002.***

http://www.marssociety.org/bulletins/euro/1.1.asp

--Chris Vancil