Beagle 2: Mars landing confirmed, but radio silence remains explained by deployment
Beagle 2 separated from Mars Express in December 2003 and appeared to land in Isidis Planitia, beginning solar-panel deployment; no signal was received. In 2015 HiRISE imagery suggested the lander and deployed panels, but later work showed the panels' final configuration could vary and that the antenna was likely obscured by panels, explaining the lack of contact. Subsequent modelling (notably 2016 Leicester/De Montfort work) indicated at least three panels probably opened, possibly all four, leaving uncertainty about exactly what failed. The finding marks a milestone in showing the mission reached Mars, but the science package never returned, and the exact failure mode remains unresolved.
