re: Why ?
Oh please, Mark, why being so provocative?
G): What's interesting is to follow the press, the Beagle 2 team, the ESA scientists. I've only heard Francis Rocard suggest the parachute might have gotten entangled. They all propose a minor problem with major consequences (problem on the ground). None suggest a design problem as Gary has brought forward, several days ago.
But then, Mars Express was 90% of all the science of this mission and it's working fine, so far.
Raoul