Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Beagle

numbers game
Gary — (archived)

$50 million was spent on a lander that has long odds for success. The same lander took up part of the mass budget for Mars Express and subjected Mars Express to some minor peril (there was a slight risk that Beagle 2 could have outgassed or buggered up Mars Express in some unimaginable way). Reading between the lines, there was a little bit of grumbling amongst ESA engineer's about playing host to Beagle 2 that required last minute convincing. $50 million and Beagle 2's mass could have bought a nice additional instrument for Mars Express to be carried into Mars orbit. That's the trade-off that someone made when Beagle 2 was carried on Mars Express. Why was it done? Politics, sex appeal, national pride, who knows?

Gary

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (27 posts)