PROPOSED MARS LANDER VEHICLE

Early day motion 1577, tabled 20 July 1998 by Ian Taylor (Conservative). Signed by 38 members.

That this House applauds the efforts of the consortium of university research laboratories, including the Open University, University of Leicester and University College London, which with leading British companies in the space industry, designed the Beagle 2 Lander vehicle and propose to build it for the Mars Express mission in 2003; recognises the alpha quality of the science and technology involved in the project and the public awareness and educational possibilities; and urges other interested parties and the Government to support this British-led opportunity to analyse Martian rock soil and atmosphere in situ to discover whether there have been or could be life forms on the planet.

Signatures by party: Labour 20, Conservative 12, Labour/Co-operative 3, Liberal Democrat 2, Scottish National Party 1.