On Christmas Day 2003 Mars probe
Beagle 2 was set to land on the red planet. It was one of the stories I told in my article
Christmas in the Skies.
This little probe was a British production, led by Professor Colin Pillinger, a larger-than-life character and very keen space scientist. He and the probe (named for the
Beagle on which Charles Darwin sailed) had a large popular following. A well known British pop group provided the call sign for the probe, and artist Damien Hirst designed its
color calibration chart. Schoolchildren were enthusiastic fans.
So there was widespread gloom when nothing was ever heard from Beagle. In February 2004 it was officially given up for lost. Until now. In pictures taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Beagle has been located. It doesn't appear that it did crash and break up, but that it failed fully to open. Therefore it's antenna couldn't be extended and no communication was possible.
Sadly, Colin Pillinger died last May without ever knowing the fate of his great endeavor.