Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Space travel coming to an airport near you? Maybe, if Skylon keeps its cool]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/reaction-engines-spaceplane-skylon-critical-cooling-tests/http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/reaction-engines-spaceplane-skylon-critical-cooling-tests/http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/27/reaction-engines-spaceplane-skylon-critical-cooling-tests/#comments reaction-engines-spaceplane-skylon-critical-cooling-tests

Want to get from New York to Perth in under 4 hours, or maybe just head to outer space on a lark? Reaction Engines' "Skylon" mach 5 spaceplane might be your chariot -- or not. Its scheme of ingesting oxygen from the atmosphere instead of stowing it like a 50-year old modern multi-stage rocket sounds good, but the project's fate may hang on critical new tests. Failure is still a possibility, but if the high-speed, superhot gases can be cooled enough for the hybrid Sabre engines to work, and if Reaction Engines Limited can secure another round of funding, punching your space-ticket could soon be a very real possibility.

Space travel coming to an airport near you? Maybe, if Skylon keeps its cool originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ESAEuropean space agencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyReaction EnginesReactionEnginesskylonspace tourismspace travelSpaceTourismSpaceTravelFri, 27 Apr 2012 23:56:00 EST<![CDATA[ESA's Vega rocket takes flight, delivers low-tonnage objects to high places]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/13/esa-launches-vega-rocket-into-orbit/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/13/esa-launches-vega-rocket-into-orbit/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/13/esa-launches-vega-rocket-into-orbit/#comments ESA's Vega rocket takes flight, delivers low-tonnage objects to high placesOn Monday, the European Space Agency (ESA) conducted a successful test of its newest projectile, the Vega rocket. Designed to carry up to nine objects totaling less than 2.5 metric tons ("tonnes," for those in the know) into orbit, the four-stage vehicle stands 30 meters tall and weighs in at just under 140 metric tons when fully loaded. The rocket aims to solve a key -- if slightly humdrum -- problem: at present, European researchers send their instrumentation into space on retrofitted Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). The Vega platform should provide greater launch flexibility and reduce the delay (which can be months) scientists experience while waiting to hitch a ride on an ICBM. Although still in the testing stage, Monday's maiden voyage was a promising first step for the new spacecraft. Hit the source for more rocket-related excitement.

ESA's Vega rocket takes flight, delivers low-tonnage objects to high places originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ESAEuropeEuropeaneuropean space agencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyICBMIntercontinental ballistic missileIntercontinentalBallisticMissileKourouKourou spaceportKourouSpaceportlaunchorbitrocketRussiaRussiansatellitespaceVegaVega rocketVegaRocketMon, 13 Feb 2012 16:24:00 EST<![CDATA[ESA abandons Russian space probe, hopes it doesn't plummet to earth]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/esa-abandons-russian-space-probe-hopes-it-doesnt-plummet-to-ea/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/esa-abandons-russian-space-probe-hopes-it-doesnt-plummet-to-ea/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/05/esa-abandons-russian-space-probe-hopes-it-doesnt-plummet-to-ea/#comments Things have gone from bad to worse for the orbit locked Phobos-Grunt space probe, having lost contact with the European Space Agency, the probe faces abandonment and disaster. The soviet star-gazer got stuck in Earth's orbit shortly after launch, stunting its two and a half year jaunt to the Martian moon Phobos. Attempts to send commands that would break the craft loose of the Earth's grip have failed, and the ESA has since given up hope of contacting the probe. The Russians will continue to try and reestablish contact with the probe, hopefully avoiding an expensive disaster. Weighing 13.2 metric tons, most of which is fuel, the probe threatens to return to Earth with a bang, crashing down to terra firma with a toxic payload. It's certainly not been a good couple of months for Euro based space travel. In the meantime let's just hope it doesn't bump into anything else while it's up there, or you might miss the big game.

ESA abandons Russian space probe, hopes it doesn't plummet to earth originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abandonedcollisioncrashesaeuropean space agencyEuropeanSpaceAgencymarsmartianphobosphobos-gruntproberussiarussiansatellitespacespace explorationSpaceExplorationMon, 05 Dec 2011 03:52:00 EST<![CDATA[Russian and Chinese satellites going to Martian moon, plan to bring back some of the Red Planet (update: stranded in Earth orbit)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/russian-and-chinese-satellites-going-to-martian-moon-plan-to-br/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/russian-and-chinese-satellites-going-to-martian-moon-plan-to-br/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/08/russian-and-chinese-satellites-going-to-martian-moon-plan-to-br/#commentsRussia just finished its Mars500 simulation, proving that man can handle the arduous task of traveling to and from the Red Planet -- or at least it proved man can live in a confined space for 520 days with dodgy internet. However, Moscow needs to know a bit more about Mars itself before shooting citizens to our planetary neighbor, so it's sending a satellite to collect soil samples from one of its moons. The Russian satellite, named Phobos-Grunt, launched earlier today with the Chinese satellite Yinghuo-1 onboard as well. Both are bound for the Martian moon Phobos and are scheduled to arrive in September of 2012, whereupon Yinghuo-1 will be dispatched into orbit around Mars and Phobos-Grunt will begin maneuvering for its final descent onto the moon's surface. After landing, a robotic arm will examine some extra-terrestrial soil on site and gather 200 grams more to fire back to terra, where it's scheduled to touch down in Kazakhstan by August of 2014. If humans can get some Martian dirt back to Earth without incident, shouldn't be hard to do the same thing with a man, right?

Update: Well, that was quick. It looks like Phobos-Grunt may not be bringing back soil samples from Mars, folks. Apparently, the launch went off without a hitch, but after achieving Earth orbit, the engine needed to get it into deep space failed to fire. Right now the Russians are working on a fix, but Phobos-Grunt has just two weeks of juice in its batteries before it becomes space junk. Good luck, fellas, you're going to need it.

Russian and Chinese satellites going to Martian moon, plan to bring back some of the Red Planet (update: stranded in Earth orbit) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinachineseesaeuropean space agencyEuropeanSpaceAgencymarsmartianphobosphobos-gruntrussiarussianspacespace explorationSpaceExplorationyinghuo-1Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:48:00 EST<![CDATA[EU to launch first two Galileo satellites today, as sat-nav system lurches forward]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/21/eu-to-launch-first-two-galileo-satellites-today-as-sat-nav-syst/http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/21/eu-to-launch-first-two-galileo-satellites-today-as-sat-nav-syst/http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/21/eu-to-launch-first-two-galileo-satellites-today-as-sat-nav-syst/#comments
The EU's Galileo satellite navigation system has been beset by delays and budget overruns in recent months, but its future is looking slightly brighter, now that its first two satellites are primed for launch. The European Space Agency is expected to send the satellites into space today, as part of a long-term project that will cost an estimated €7 billion (around $9.6 billion). Slated to take off from Kourou, French Guiana, the pair of satellites will ride on the back of a Russian rocket to an altitude of nearly 15,000 miles, where they'll test system functions both in space and on Earth. If all goes according to plan, they'll also become Galileo's first operational satellites, paving the way, officials hope, for many more to follow. In fact, the European Commission is looking to complete the 30-satellite constellation by the year 2019, with two scheduled to launch during every quarter, beginning in 2012. The idea, of course, is to offer Europeans an alternative to US-operated GPS, with a free consumer service scheduled to launch in 2014, followed by a more precise, paid service in 2020. Nevertheless, budgetary concerns loom large over the project, which, according to the EC, has already racked up a development and deployment bill of over €5 billion ($6.8 billion), since 2003. The commission will present a finalized proposal to EU member governments by the end of the year, in the hopes of obtaining that extra €7 billion, though it may face more acute criticism, considering today's dour economic climate. It remains unlikely, however, that Galileo will be totally shut down, as the EU says it could bring in an extra €90 billion over the next 20 years.

EU to launch first two Galileo satellites today, as sat-nav system lurches forward originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>budgetearthECeconomicEUeuropeEuropean Commissioneuropean space agencyeuropean unionEuropeanCommissionEuropeanSpaceAgencyEuropeanUnionfundinggovernmentlaunchmilestonemoneynavigationpoliticsrocketrussian rocketRussianRocketsat-navsatellitesatellite navigationSatelliteNavigationsatnavspaceFri, 21 Oct 2011 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Help for the lost: a fabric antenna to keep you from being a castaway]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/04/help-for-the-lost-a-fabric-antenna-to-keep-you-from-being-a-cas/http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/04/help-for-the-lost-a-fabric-antenna-to-keep-you-from-being-a-cas/http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/04/help-for-the-lost-a-fabric-antenna-to-keep-you-from-being-a-cas/#comments

Doesn't look like much, does it? But the next time you're lost at sea, you just might be thankful you've got it. That little square of fabric is actually a flexible antenna designed for the Cospas-Sarsat distress signal network, a Cold War-era system built to help pinpoint missing ships, planes and people. Designed to be sewn into a life vest, the antenna broadcasts an emergency beacon at a low frequency for greater range; in field tests, that helped rescuers find it within minutes. It's also tear- and water-resistant, which you'll be grateful for when you're being tossed around like a ragdoll in a sea of whitecaps. The technology was developed by the European Space Agency in partnership with a Finnish company. Next on their agenda? A round, floating companion for the marooned, codenamed Wilson.

Help for the lost: a fabric antenna to keep you from being a castaway originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's not every day that scientists get to say they've found something in space for the first time ever, but astronomers working with the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory announced just such a discovery today, and it's a big one. They've made the first confirmed finding of oxygen molecules in space (found hiding in the Orion nebula), and suggest that the oxygen is likely released when the water ice surrounding dust grains is melted by the heat from nearby stars forming. Of course, one discovery only leads to more questions, and the scientists note that they still haven't found large amounts of oxygen, and "still don't understand what is so special about the spots where we find it."

Herschel telescope finds first evidence of oxygen molecules in space originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discoveryESAEuropean Space AgencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyHerschelHerschel Space ObservatoryHerschel telescopeHerschelSpaceObservatoryHerschelTelescopenasaoxygenoxygen moleculesOxygenMoleculesspaceMon, 01 Aug 2011 18:35:00 EST<![CDATA[European Space Agency creates one billion pixel camera, calls her GAIA]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/10/european-space-agency-creates-one-billion-pixel-camera-calls-he/http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/10/european-space-agency-creates-one-billion-pixel-camera-calls-he/http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/10/european-space-agency-creates-one-billion-pixel-camera-calls-he/#comments When we hear the name GAIA, our memory automatically zooms back to the Whoopi Goldberg-voiced Mother Earth from Captain Planet. This isn't that GAIA, but it does have to do with planets. Back at the turn of the millennium, the European Space Agency devised an ambitious mission to map one billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy -- in 3D (insert Joey Lawrence 'whoa!'). To do this, it enlisted UK-based e2v Technologies and built an immense digital camera comprised of 106 snugly-fit charge coupled devices -- the largest ever for a space program. These credit card-shaped, human hair-thick slabs of silicon carbide act like tiny galactic eyes, each storing incoming light as a single pixel. Not sufficiently impressed? Then consider this: the stellar cam is so all-seeing, "it could measure the thumbnails of a person on the Moon" -- from Earth. Yeah. Set to launch on the Soyuz-Fregat sometime this year, the celestial surveyor will make its five-year home in the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point, beaming its outerspace discoveries to radio dishes in Spain and Australia -- and occasionally peeping in your neighbor's window.

European Space Agency creates one billion pixel camera, calls her GAIA originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameraCharge Coupled DevicesChargeCoupledDevicesdigital cameraDigitalCamerae2ve2v TechnologiesE2vTechnologiesESAEuropean Space AgencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyGAIAmapmappingmapsMilky WayMilky Way galaxyMilkyWayMilkyWayGalaxypixelpixelsSoyuz FregatSoyuzFregatspaceSun, 10 Jul 2011 15:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Mars Express captures Phobos in orbit, has bad video to prove it]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/20/mars-express-captures-phobos-in-orbit-has-bad-video-to-prove-it/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/20/mars-express-captures-phobos-in-orbit-has-bad-video-to-prove-it/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/20/mars-express-captures-phobos-in-orbit-has-bad-video-to-prove-it/#comments
Alright stargazers, listen up! You know that video you just watched above? Yeah, well that's not terrible 1995-era CGI, it's actually mind-blowing footage of the Martian moon, Phobos, passing by Jupiter in the distance. Credit goes to the insanely brainy folks over at the European Space Agency who captured 104 images of this special alignment on June 1st over a measly 68 seconds using their Mars Express probe. True, it does take a little bit of imagination to get the full sense of just how awe-inspiring this is, but consider this -- the distance between Mars Express and Jupiter at the time of alignment comes in at 529 million kilometers. That's about 329 million miles for those of you still not sufficiently impressed. Try doing that with your high-end DSLR.

Mars Express captures Phobos in orbit, has bad video to prove it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We thought the Hundred Year Starship initiative to strand aged astronauts on Mars by 2030 was depressing, and in comparison the European Space Agency's Mars-500 project is little more than a walk in the park (a very small, confined, and extremely monotonous park). Essentially Bio-Dome re-written to simulate travel to Mars and back (without that lovable scamp Pauly Shore), the project bills itself as "the first full duration simulation of a manned flight to Mars," with astronauts conducting a 640-day voyage to the red planet and back -- all without leaving the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP). Members of the crew "landed" on Mars on February 12th of this year, returning to the craft on February 24th. As we speak, they should be entering into a spiral orbit away from Mars, and with any luck they'll be back just in time for their ticker-tape parade on November 5th (hopefully that part isn't a simulation). A joint experiment by the European Space Agency, Russia, and China, the $15 million project studies the complex psychological and technical challenges encountered on long spaceflights.

Continue reading Simulated Mars mission simulating return to Earth as we speak, astronauts genuinely overjoyed

Simulated Mars mission simulating return to Earth as we speak, astronauts genuinely overjoyed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>astronautcosmonautseuropean space agencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyexplorationmarsmars 500Mars500moscowrussiaRussian Academy of SciencesRussianAcademyOfSciencesspacespace explorationspace travelSpaceExplorationSpaceTravelWed, 02 Mar 2011 18:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Hylas 1 satellite blasting off today, will rain down broadband from above]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/26/hylas-1-satellite-blasting-off-today-will-rain-down-broadband-f/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/26/hylas-1-satellite-blasting-off-today-will-rain-down-broadband-f/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/26/hylas-1-satellite-blasting-off-today-will-rain-down-broadband-f/#comments Europe's about to catapult a new satellite up into orbit today, this one with the stated goal of providing broadband internet access to people in the areas hardest to reach by terrestrial connectivity means. UK startup Avanti Communications is the official name responsible for the Hylas 1, which is a funny mix of private and public investment: it's a commercial venture, yet the British state has contributed £40 million ($63m) to its development and European Space Agency tech will be used to get that 2.6-ton antenna up beyond the planet's atmosphere. Ultimately, though, the goal's a good one -- up to 10Mbps connections will be on offer, with plans for further satellites already on the books, which should serve to expand internet accessibility in parts of Africa and Asia as well. The next Hylas tin can will be leaving terra firma in 15 months, provided there no unknown unknowns pop up during that time to get in its way.

Hylas 1 satellite blasting off today, will rain down broadband from above originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10mbpsaccessantrixariane 5Ariane5arianespaceavantiavanti communicationsAvantiCommunicationsbroadbandcommercialconnectivityeads astriumEadsAstriumesaeueuropeeuropean space agencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyhylashylas 1Hylas1internetorbitsatellitesatellite broadbandSatelliteBroadbandspaceukunited kingdomUnitedKingdomwebFri, 26 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Planck telescope maps the universe in search of primordial light]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/06/planck-telescope-maps-the-universe-in-search-of-primordial-light/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/06/planck-telescope-maps-the-universe-in-search-of-primordial-light/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/06/planck-telescope-maps-the-universe-in-search-of-primordial-light/#comments Yep, that innocuous-looking picture above is the whole freaking universe, as perceived by the Planck telescope -- a long-wave light detector that's been catapulted into space to search for Big Bang clues. The European Space Agency is using it in order to get the most precise information to date on Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (apparent in the image as the magenta and yellow mush in the, ahem, background), which could in turn enlighten us on the conditions that gave rise to all of us omnivores prowling a gravity-assisted, ozone-protected, floating rock. The first mapping run took just over six months to complete, but the plan is to produce four such images using the Planck's super-cold (nearly at absolute zero) sensors before retiring the thing. Results are expected no sooner than 2013, so please do slide back from the edge of your seat.

Planck telescope maps the universe in search of primordial light originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Sunday (the first of November) the European Space Agency launched a new satellite from a Russian rocket. This one, named the European Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite has a few very important jobs to do. For the next 3-5 years, the satellite will gather data about the circulation patterns in Earth's oceans and the moisture in its soil. The collected information will hopefully be used to forecast weather patterns such as droughts and flood risks. Check out the video after the break for a detailed explanation and a peek at the satellite of love itself.

[Via Inhabitat]

Continue reading European Space Agency launches flood-predicting, earth monitoring satellite

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European Space Agency launches flood-predicting, earth monitoring satellite originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The EU's Galileo satellite positioning project has been lost in a haze of paperwork for a while, but there's finally some positive news to report: a "precursor" system called EGNOS launched last week, which will provide free positioning over most of the 27 EU states. The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, as it's charmingly called, consists of three satellites, four control centers, and around 40 positioning stations, all of which combine to take signals from US GPS satellites and enhance them to provide position information that's accurate to six feet, compared to around 60 feet for GPS alone. That means satnavs in Europe are going to get more accurate overnight, as most major brands are already EGNOS-ready -- too bad better navigation won't keep drivers in the UK from careening into rivers and damaging bridges.

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EU's new EGNOS GPS system goes active originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>egnosesaeueuropean space agencyeuropean unionEuropeanSpaceAgencyEuropeanUniongalileogpsnavigationsatellitesatellite navigationSatelliteNavigationSun, 04 Oct 2009 23:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Contest winner's playlist will be sent to space aboard iPod]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/25/contest-winners-playlist-will-be-sent-to-space-aboard-ipod/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/25/contest-winners-playlist-will-be-sent-to-space-aboard-ipod/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/25/contest-winners-playlist-will-be-sent-to-space-aboard-ipod/#comments

As if there weren't enough reasons to want to be a kid again, the European Space Agency is holding a contest for children 18-and-under that requires crafting the perfect playlist for astronauts floating around the International Space Station -- and the lucky winner scores a trip to South America to watch an iPod loaded with his/her tunes launched aboard the agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle. In a twist on the old "What would you bring to a desert island" question, the contest -- which is only open to residents of EU countries participating in the ATV program -- asks entrants to envision what ten songs they'd want to listen to (guess they're only sending up a shuffle) as they orbited 400 kilometers above the Earth, and although the rules don't specifically prohibit it, we imagine that entries which include "Major Tom," "Free Fallin'," or "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (not to mention anything by the Beatles) will be immediately disqualified. Now when the 20-tonne vehicle heads off towards the ISS later this year, it certainly won't be carrying the first iPod into orbit -- Anousheh Ansari famously brought hers up last year, among others -- and with the "Gates in Space" story now definitively debunked (tourist Charles Simonyi attributed the rumor to a Russian press "notorious for their fabrications") it looks as though space -- much like many places on Earth -- will remain a decidedly Zune-free zone for the foreseeable future.

[Via FARK, image courtesy of NASA]

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Contest winner's playlist will be sent to space aboard iPod originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atcautomated transfer vehicleAutomatedTransferVehicleesaeuropean space agencyEuropeanSpaceAgencyinternational space stationInternationalSpaceStationipodissportable audioportableaudiospaceWed, 25 Apr 2007 15:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Britain's "Bridget" rover hopes to explore Mars]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/12/britains-bridget-rover-hopes-to-explore-mars/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/12/britains-bridget-rover-hopes-to-explore-mars/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/12/britains-bridget-rover-hopes-to-explore-mars/#commentsEven though we were pretty sure that the whole "life on Mars" issue had already been settled, scientists are still hell-bent on sending robots to scope out the Red Planet to look for tiny Martians, with the British unveiling a new rover today that promises to school hometown favorites Spirit and Opportunity at that very task. "Bridget," as the six-wheeled bot is known, can supposedly cover in just six months the same 6.2-mile stretch that's taken the American rovers over two years, thanks to a guidance system that allows for greater autonomy and requires less terrestrial control. Designed to compete for a spot on the European Space Agency's planned 2011 ExoMars mission, Bridget sports a two-meter drill, a so-called "life marker chip," and a micro seismometer, among other toots, to help enable the Agency's long-term goal of safely sending humans to our neighbor planet. And because half the battle is just getting there, engineers equipped the new bot with sensors that will let on-board airbags and parachutes guide it to a safer, more controlled landing -- ensuring that Bridget doesn't go MIA like the Beagle 2 rover in 2003, .

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Britain's "Bridget" rover hopes to explore Mars originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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