A number of sites were considered as the possible location where Beagle 2 will come to rest. The feature that all the sites had in common was that they showed evidence of fluvial processing by large volumes of water.

Other criteria taken into consideration were the altitude and latitude on Mars. Too high and there is insufficient atmospheric density to allow the Beagle 2 parachutes to slow the lander for a safe touch down. Both height and also too far north or south away from the equator will increase the need for additional thermal protection as the climate worsens. The northern hemisphere is our favoured destination because here in the martian lowlands the planet will be coming from spring into summer during the time Beagle is working in 2004.

When seeking safe conditions for a Beagle 2 landing site the team had to consider slopes and the frequency and angularity of boulders. The spacecraft needs to find some rocks to carry out its programme of scientific investigations but not so many that the gas-filled impact protection is ruptured and bursts.

The final decision about where to land was needed in 2001 to allow ESA controllers to work out the details of the Mars Express flight plan.