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Shown below is the expected timeline of the main mission events (please refresh
to ensure you are looking at the current version):
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16th Dec 2003
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All day
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Fine targeting of Mars Express to point at the landing site
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19th Dec
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06:51 GMT
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Decision to release Beagle 2
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19th Dec
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08:31 GMT
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Eject command sent to Mars Express
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19th Dec
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10:40 GMT
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First results of release available
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20th Dec
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All day
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Retargeting of Mars Express on an orbital insertion course
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23rd Dec
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T.B.D.
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Update on Mars Express orbital insertion sequence
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24th Dec
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Night
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Final decision to steer Mars Express into a martian orbit
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25th Dec
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00:20 GMT
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Beagle 2's timer chip wakes the on-board
computer to get ready to control the pre-programmed descent
activities
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25th Dec
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02:47 GMT
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Beagle 2 enters the martian atmosphere
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25th Dec
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02:54 GMT
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Beagle 2 lands on Mars
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Landing defined as sol1. A sol is a martian day (24.6 hours
on Earth) |
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25th Dec
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03:00 GMT
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Mars Express orbital insertion
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25th Dec
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05:30 GMT
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Mars Odyssey orbiter flies over
Beagle 2 - first possible signal retrieval from the lander
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25th Dec
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06:30-07:00 GMT
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Mars Odyssey contacts NASA's
Jet Propulsion Lab, first possible signal from Beagle 2 received
on Earth
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25th Dec
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07:00 GMT
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First evaluation of Mars Express orbital insertion
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25th Dec
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07:15 GMT
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Sunset on Mars (sol1 18:35 local solar
time)
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25th Dec
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20:02 GMT
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Sunrise on Mars (sol2 07:02 local solar
time)
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25th Dec
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22:45 GMT
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Possible direct capture of Beagle 2 signals at Jodrell
Bank Observatory (UK)
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26th Dec
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07:55 GMT
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Sunset on Mars (sol2 18:36 local solar
time)
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26th Dec
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17:33:49 -18:53:49 GMT
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Possible signal retrieval from the lander
via Odyssey (sol3 03:49 local solar time)
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There will be a delay of at least an hour to return any Odyssey signal
to Earth and process. |
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26th Dec
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23:00:00 - 00:20:00 GMT
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Possible signal retrieval from the lander
at Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) (sol3 09:07 local
solar time)
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Jodrell Bank will start to look much earlier than the times stated. |
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27th Dec
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06:17:46 - 07:37:46 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey
(sol3 16:13 local solar time)
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27th Dec
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22:56:00 - 00:16:00 GMT
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Possible signal retrieval from the lander
at Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) and the Stanford
University telescope (California, US) (sol4 09:24 local
solar time)
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28th Dec
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18:57:16 - 20:17:16 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey
(sol5 03:53 local solar time)
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29th Dec
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07:41:13 - 09:01:13 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol5
16:17 local solar time)
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30th Dec
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07:24:11 - 08:44:11 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol6
15:21 local solar time)
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30th Dec
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20:20:42 - 21:40:42 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol7
03:57 local solar time)
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31st Dec
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09:04:39 - 10:24:39 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol7
16:21 local solar time)
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4th Jan 2004
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T.B.D.
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Earliest
signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express
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7th Jan
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about 12:15 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express
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8th Jan
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about 12:50 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express
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9th Jan
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about 13:27 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express
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10th Jan
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about 14:04 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express
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12th Jan
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about 02:02 GMT
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Possible
signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express
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13th Jan - 24th Jan
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Period
of radio silence where no communication attempts will be made
with Beagle 2 to ensure that Beagle 2 is in communication
search mode 2.
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Mars Express and Odyssey will both continue to listen, but will not transmit. |
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24th Jan
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Transmissions to Beagle 2 from Mars Express recommence. Latest results
will be announced on the 26th Jan
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