Left: artists impression of Mars Express as it approaches the red planet after a journey time of six months. All rights reserved, Beagle 2.
A remarkable new exhibition that links two great breakthroughs in human exploration is currently on show at the National Maritime Museum until 7 September 2003.
HMS Beagle and Beagle 2 compares the voyages of HMS Beagle, which carried out Charles Darwin's surveys between 1826 and 1843, and the forthcoming space probe, Beagle 2, the British-led mission to explore Mars.
Right:theodolite, c.1840. Made by Dollond, London. Used by John Lort Stokes for land surveying during the Beagle voyage. © National Maritime Museum
Roy Clare, Director of the National Maritime Museum, which includes the Royal Observatory, said: 'The exhibition brings together our two sites to produce an exciting show reflecting the influence of great voyages, like that of the original Beagle, on today's space exploration.'
Featuring items from the collections of the National Maritime Museum and other important sources, including some private ones on display for the first time, there is a wealth of important artefacts spanning the two centuries of exploration.
Left:Admiral John Lort Stokes (1812-1885), by Stephen Pearce. Oil on canvas. © National Maritime Museum
Among the many exhibits is the theodolite used by John Lort Stokes for land surveying during the Beagle voyage, and other scientific instruments from HMS Beagle. There is also a state of the art animation illustrating how Beagle 2 will get to Mars.
Beagle 2 Lead Scientist, Professor Colin Pillinger, said: 'We named the Mars lander in honour of HMS Beagle and we are delighted to be able to work with the National Maritime Museum to show how the challenges faced nearly two hundred years ago are not so different now as we attempt to extend our horizons.'
Right:artists impression - Beagle 2 lander leaving Mars Express. All rights reserved, Beagle 2.
It is Professor Pillinger's mission, due to launch in 2003, which may be the first to answer the question: 'is there life on Mars?'
It's a big question that still hasn't been fully answered. It may not prove be as momentous as the discoveries made by Charles Darwin on his explorations over a century ago, but this exhibition cleverly charts the links and similarities in the two missions.
Beagle 2 will be launched to the Red Planet in May 2003, is scheduled to land around Christmas time and analyse samples in an effort to discover signs of life (past and present) as part of the European Space Agency Mars Express mission.
