London, Jan 04: Scientists said today they will use Beagle 2's mothership in further attempts to make contact with the probe, which has not been heard from since it was to have set down on Mars on Christmas Day.
Mission controllers are pinning their hopes on the European space agency's Mars Express, which ferried Beagle 2 to Mars and which itself safely entered orbit of the planet.
Chief Beagle scientist Colin Pillinger said that there will be four windows of opportunity for mars express to receive a signal from the missing Beagle 2 later this week, the first on Wednesday.
Pillinger acknowledged that a failure by mars express to make contact could spell the end of the mission.
"The spacecraft was built to survive for six months so we could still be listening out on a long term basis but obviously, if we are not in communication with it, sending it orders, it can't carry out its function and carry out the mission," Pillinger told British Broadcasting Corp. Television.
"If the next four sessions that we have later this week produce nothing, then we definitely have to begin to fear the worst," he added.
Bureau Report
