Officials at the United Kingdom's Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council have asked NASA to help in a last attempt to contact the Beagle 2 Mars probe.
They have requested that NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter sends a signal to the Beagle commanding its computers to reset. Colin Pillinger, lead scientist for Beagle 2, is not optimistic for the chances of success.
"It is a pretty drastic action. That is why we have left it to the last minute. Under these circumstances we have to begin to accept that if Beagle 2 is on the Martian surface, it is not active," Pillinger said.
