:: landing timeline
Shown below is the expected timeline of the main mission events (please refresh to ensure you are looking at the current version):
| 16th Dec 2003 | All day | Fine targeting of Mars Express to point at the landing site |
| 19th Dec | 06:51 GMT | Decision to release Beagle 2 |
| 19th Dec | 08:31 GMT | Eject command sent to Mars Express |
| 19th Dec | 10:40 GMT | First results of release available |
| 20th Dec | All day | Retargeting of Mars Express on an orbital insertion course |
| 23rd Dec | T.B.D. | Update on Mars Express orbital insertion sequence |
| 24th Dec | Night | Final decision to steer Mars Express into a martian orbit |
| 25th Dec | 00:20 GMT | Beagle 2’s timer chip wakes the on-board computer to get ready to control the pre-programmed descent activities |
| 25th Dec | 02:47 GMT | Beagle 2 enters the martian atmosphere |
| 25th Dec | 02:54 GMT | Beagle 2 lands on Mars |
| 25th Dec | 03:00 GMT | Mars Express orbital insertion |
| 25th Dec | 05:30 GMT | Mars Odyssey orbiter flies over Beagle 2 – first possible signal retrieval from the lander |
| 25th Dec | 06:30-07:00 GMT | Mars Odyssey contacts NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, first possible signal from Beagle 2 received on Earth |
| 25th Dec | 07:00 GMT | First evaluation of Mars Express orbital insertion |
| 25th Dec | 07:15 GMT | Sunset on Mars (sol1 18:35 local solar time) |
| 25th Dec | 20:02 GMT | Sunrise on Mars (sol2 07:02 local solar time) |
| 25th Dec | 22:45 GMT | Possible direct capture of Beagle 2 signals at Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) |
| 26th Dec | 07:55 GMT | Sunset on Mars (sol2 18:36 local solar time) |
| 26th Dec | 17:33:49 -18:53:49 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol3 03:49 local solar time) |
| 26th Dec | 23:00:00 – 00:20:00 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander at Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) (sol3 09:07 local solar time) |
| 27th Dec | 06:17:46 – 07:37:46 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol3 16:13 local solar time) |
| 27th Dec | 22:56:00 – 00:16:00 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander at Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) and the Stanford University telescope (California, US) (sol4 09:24 local solar time) |
| 28th Dec | 18:57:16 – 20:17:16 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol5 03:53 local solar time) |
| 29th Dec | 07:41:13 – 09:01:13 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol5 16:17 local solar time) |
| 30th Dec | 07:24:11 – 08:44:11 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol6 15:21 local solar time) |
| 30th Dec | 20:20:42 – 21:40:42 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol7 03:57 local solar time) |
| 31st Dec | 09:04:39 – 10:24:39 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Odyssey (sol7 16:21 local solar time) |
| 4th Jan 2004 | T.B.D. | Earliest signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express |
| 7th Jan | about 12:15 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express |
| 8th Jan | about 12:50 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express |
| 9th Jan | about 13:27 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express |
| 10th Jan | about 14:04 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express |
| 12th Jan | about 02:02 GMT | Possible signal retrieval from the lander via Mars Express |
| 13th Jan – 24th Jan | Period of radio silence where no communication attempts will be made with Beagle 2 to ensure that Beagle 2 is in communication search mode 2. | |
| 24th Jan | Transmissions to Beagle 2 from Mars Express recommence. Latest results will be announced on the 26th Jan |