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	ESA Chooses Isidis Basin for Landing Site On Mars In 2004 By Josh Chamot Special to SPACE .com posted: 07:00 am ET 12 September 2000

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CHICAGO When NASAs next rovers truck along the Red Planet's surface, they may have company. The European Space Agency (ESA) is landing its own craft on Mars in 2004, and the likely target is Isidis Basin, one of NASAs highest priority landing sites.

"At the moment, Isidis is the best choice," said Mark Sims, Project Manager for the ESA lander, Beagle 2. A final decision will be made in December.

Just north of the Martian equator, Isidis is "a scientifically interesting site," said Sims, and it fits the strict requirements necessary to land safely and function in Mars' harsh environment.

The British-built Beagle 2 is set to tote a privately funded microscope to Mars.

Even before the recent Mars mishaps, site choice has been more about not crashing than about finding the best science. While knowledge is the ultimate goal for any trip to Mars, there is little that can be done if the spacecraft doesnt land on its feet.

After being released from its orbiting partner, Mars Express, Beagle 2 will descend to the basin floor, cushioned on impact by airbags much like those on NASAs successful Pathfinder lander.

However, once the bags deflate, the lander still needs to be able to stand up straight.

Debris-free basin

ESA scientists from the U.K. have pored over images from recent NASA orbiting missions and Viking, searching for sites that are relatively flat and somewhat free of treacherous rocks. Not an easy task when the most interesting sites, like those that show evidence for ancient floods, are strewn with boulder-sized debris.

Both ESA and NASA scientists believe that Isidis Basin, with its relatively debris-free, gently sloping dunes, should provide a safe haven for robotic explorers.

In addition to a smooth landing, the 66-pound (30-kilogram) Beagle 2 will also need to collect energy from the sun and keep its instruments warm. And while the temperatures at the Martian equator range from a nighttime low of over minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 129 degrees Celsius) to a daytime max of over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27degrees Celsius), these are relatively Caribbean-like temperatures for Mars.

Once on the ground, Beagle 2 will search for signs of life. Named after the ship that carried Charles Darwin to the Galapagos, the stationary craft will have various detectors and a robotic arm, and will be the first Mars lander since Viking to conduct a full suite of life-detection experiments.

A peek from underneath

Using a novel technology nicknamed Pluto (for Planetary Undersurface Tool), Beagle 2 will also be the first craft to peek at rocks from beneath the Martian surface and beneath boulders. Pluto can crawl up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) away from or beneath the lander, limited only by the length of its attached power cord.

This innovation will allow scientists their first glimpse of what rocks look like below the heavily weathered surface of the planet.

The impact of Beagle 2 and Mars Express may reach beyond the science. Sims hopes that the missions also show that Europe has an active space program, particularly in the U.K. where much of the Beagle 2 science team resides.

So, with many goals in common, will there be across-the-ocean collaboration between ESA and U.S. scientists? "I hope so," said Steve Squyres of Cornell University, principal investigator for the 2003 NASA rover mission. "We havent gotten to the point of planning it yet, but it seems like the natural thing to do."

"Any manned mission, I think by its nature," agreed Sims, "might have to be a global program."

Arranging a Mars collaboration on the scale of the International Space Station is not likely at the moment. However, "A nice thing about Mars exploration," said Squyres," is that there are many different levels of international cooperation possible."

In fact, in addition to significant contributions from Russia, the 2003 NASA lander incorporates instruments and further contributions from Germany, Denmark and France three member states of ESA.