Space

DATE=1/26/2004

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BRITAIN / MARS (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-312306

BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE

DATELINE=LONDON

INTRO: British space scientists say they have asked their U-S colleagues to help in a last ditch effort to contact the missing Martian lander, Beagle Two. V-O-A's Michael Drudge has more from London.

TEXT: Beagle Two was sent to Mars to search for life. Now scientists fear the lander itself may be dead.

Colin Pillinger, the mastermind behind the Beagle Two project, told a London news conference his team is asking NASA to have its Mars Odyssey orbiter contact Beagle 2 on Tuesday with a command to switch off its computer and reload its software.

///PILLINGER ACT///

We are now working on the basis that this is a corrupt system and the only way we might resurrect it is send such a command and completely reload the software, if it's still alive.

///END ACT///

In the words of Mr. Pillinger, the attempt will be "pretty much a last resort."

He said the European orbiter called Mars Express failed to get a response from Beagle 2 during two flyovers on Saturday and Sunday.

Beagle 2 separated from Mars Express in mid-December and is believed to have landed on Mars on December 25th, though it has not been heard from.

The lander is about the size of an open umbrella and it is not mobile. It was designed to perform various experiments to determine if life does, or ever did, exist on Mars. (Signed).

NEB/MWD/KBK/FC