Santa isn't the only one scheduled to land tonight. The Beagle 2 rover touches down on the surface of Mars early on Christmas morning to begin a 90-day tour of the red planet.
Beagle 2 and its orbiting partner, Mars Express, were launched from Russia last June by the European Space Agency. The two parted company last week, with Beagle 2 heading for the surface and Mars Express going into Martian orbit to conduct experiments and provide a radio link for the lander.
There will be no one on hand to announce the Beagle has landed when it reaches the surface at 2.54 a.m. Irish time, but the rover, about the size of an opened umbrella, has brought along its own signature tune to confirm its safe arrival.
If it gets there in one piece, Beagle 2 will begin singing a nine-note number, also called Beagle 2, specially composed by UK pop group Blur. It is included in the song No Distance Left To Run, from Blur's platinum album, 13. Mars Express and a US satellite already in place, Mars Odyssey, will be orbiting above, listening intently for this tune.
Santa himself couldn't pull off a more difficult landing - assuming that Beagle 2 gets its chance to sing. The satellite will drop out of orbit travelling at thousands of kilometres per hour and will use a heat shield and the thin Martian atmosphere to slow itself down. Some time after midnight, as it approaches the surface, Beagle 2 will release a parachute to slow it further and then at the last minute inflate cushioning air-bags to ensure a soft landing. The rover will begin blasting out its tune by 6.30 a.m., just about the time households all over Ireland will be waking up to see what Santa delivered. Once "acquired" by its human handlers on Earth, Beagle 2 will slowly trundle away from its base and begin beaming back pictures, with the first images reaching us later tomorrow morning.
The rover is packed with experiments that will study soil, rocks and atmosphere. A key goal is the discovery of water, and Beagle 2 will also use its microscope to look for signs of present, or past, Martian life.
