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Europe's leading space and satellite company, EADS Astrium, whose Stevenage-based engineers and technicians designed and built the Beagle 2 Mars Lander, today announced that it has become Beagle 2's first commercial sponsor. EADS Astrium's backing, worth over £1 million, is the first sponsorship of its kind in space exploration. Beagle 2, Britain's first mission to Mars, was successfully launched on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft in June and is due to land on Christmas Day 2003. The company sees this as a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists, as well as to engage with a global audience. Dr Mike Healy, EADS Astrium's Director of Earth Observation, Navigation and Science UK, believes that Britain's contribution to space technology and exploration is one of the nation's best-kept secrets. He adds "Beagle 2 will help us to highlight the amazing potential of this technology and inspire younger generations who will be the engineers and scientists of the future." EADS Astrium is already well established as a sponsor and supporter of educational projects such as the National Space Science Centre is Leicester and the UK Space School. With this mission to inspire and educate in mind, EADS Astrium will launch a UK schools competition in September directly linked to its involvement with Beagle 2. There is no shortage of exciting challenges ahead in the future for young people with a passion for space exploration. EADS Astrium is already working on both the Venus Express Orbiter, which will be launched in 2005, and the ISHTAR mission to study Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express 
Farewell To Earth And Lunar As MarsExpress Looks Back
Paris (ESA) Jul 18, 2003A unique view of our home planet and its natural satellite -- the Moon -- is one of the first data sets coming from ESA's Mars Express. "It is very good news for the mission," says ESA's Mars Express Project Scientist, Agustin Chicarro. These and other data, such as those recording the major constituents of Earth as seen from space, are the actual proof that the instruments on board Mars Express, launched 2 June 2003, are working perfectly. |
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