Summary As opposed to regional petroleum systems modelling, 3D modelling tools were employed to investigate resources at the ‘near-wellbore’ scale. A high resolution model was produced studying hydrocarbon generation and expulsion for Lower Carboniferous shales in the Cheshire Basin, northern England. The model was guided by mineralogy, organic contents and hydrocarbon saturations from petrophysical interpretations, these were calibrated against laboratory derived Rock Eval 6 and XRD measurements. The proposed methodology provides a high resolution method to assess resources which may be optimal in densely populated countries like the UK. Additionally the modelling method could guide future exploration tactics while reducing the requirement for extensive core programmes.

Summary The Carboniferous mudstones of northern England have been considered as a potential source rock for development of shale gas resources. The viability of the source rock is in part dependent on its potential to generate hydrocarbons. New geochemical data from boreholes across northern England is presented, and the original organic parameters are predicted for mudstones of different ages. The findings concur with other assessments of the mudstones, that they contain a considerable detrital and inert component which could be detrimental to the development of the resources. New original organic content parameters for the source rock are recommended for future petroleum systems modelling and resource interpretation.

The Beagle 2 environmental sensors: intended measurements and scientific goals Conference or Workshop Item How to cite: Towner, M. C.; Ringrose, T. J.im; Patel, M. R.; Pullan, D.; Sims, M. R.; Haapanala, S.; Harri, A.-M.; Polkko, J.; Wilson, C. F. and Zarnecki, J. C. (2003). The Beagle 2 environmental sensors: intended measurements and scientific goals. In: Sixth International Conference on Mars, 20-25 Jul 2003.

With no contact following landing on Christmas Day 2003, the Beagle 2 mission was declared lost early 2004. A glinting object seen in Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE camera images has been identified as the Beagle 2 late 2014. This paper presents the evidence that the objects seen are indeed Beagle 2 through a series of evaluations of the objects identified on the surface. How the hardware may appear on the surface is presented. Size, reflectivities, location and dispersion on the surface are compared with expectations and the natural terrain. A virtual modelling technique has been developed to simulate the HiRISE images to enable determination of the state of deployment of the Lander. Based upon the outcomes from these analyses, an impressive list of mission successes has been compiled together with the potential causes for the loss of the mission. Although not possible to identify the cause for the loss of mission, these assessments provide strong evidence for Beagle 2 having reached the surface of Mars, releasing the Lander and deploying three of its solar panels and possibly all four. Beagle 2 is the UK's and Europe's first mission to land onto the surface of another body in our Solar System.

The 2003 Beagle 2 Mars lander has been identified in Isidis Planitia at 90.43° E, 11.53° N, close to the predicted target of 90.50° E, 11.53° N. Beagle 2 was an exobiology lander designed to look for isotopic and compositional signs of life on Mars, as part of the European Space Agency Mars Express (MEX) mission. The 2004 recalculation of the original landing ellipse from a 3-sigma major axis from 174 km to 57 km, and the acquisition of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) imagery at 30 cm per pixel across the target region, led to the initial identification of the lander in 2014. Following this, more HiRISE images, giving a total of 15, including red and blue-green colours, were obtained over the area of interest and searched, which allowed sub-pixel imaging using super high-resolution techniques. The size (approx. 1.5 m), distinctive multilobed shape, high reflectivity relative to the local terrain, specular reflections, and location close to the centre of the planned landing ellipse led to the identification of the Beagle 2 lander. The shape of the imaged lander, although to some extent masked by the specular reflections in the various images, is consistent with deployment of the lander lid and then some or all solar panels. Failure to fully deploy the panels-which may have been caused by damage during landing-would have prohibited communication between the lander and MEX and commencement of science operations. This implies that the main part of the entry, descent and landing sequence, the ejection from MEX, atmospheric entry and parachute deployment, and landing worked as planned with perhaps only the final full panel deployment failing.

The 2003 Beagle 2 Mars lander has been identified in Isidis Planitia at 90.43°E, 11.53°N, close to the predicted target of 90.50° E, 11.53° N. Beagle 2 was an exobiology lander designed to look for isotopic and compositional signs of life on Mars, as part of the ESA Mars Express (MEX) mission. The 2004 recalculation of the original landing ellipse from a 3-sigma major axis of 174–57 km, and the acquisition of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) imagery at 30 cm per pixel across the target region, led to the initial identification of the lander in 2014. Following this, more HiRISE images, giving a total of 15, including IR, red and blue-green colours, were obtained over the area of interest and searched, which allowed the calculation of red : blue-green ratios and sub-pixel imaging using super-high-resolution techniques. The size (approx. 1.5 m), distinctive multilobed shape, red : blue-green average ratio of 1.0 distinct from the local Martian rocks, dust and soil (typically red : blue-green ratio of 2.1), and location close to the centre of the planned landing ellipse led to the identification of Beagle 2. The shape of the imaged lander, although to some extent masked by the specular reflections in the various images, is consistent with deployment of the lander lid and then some or all solar panels. Failure to fully deploy the panels—which may have been caused by damage during landing—would have prohibited communication between the lander and MEX and commencement of science operations. This implies that the main part of the entry, descent and landing sequence, the ejection from MEX, atmospheric entry and parachute deployment, and landing worked as planned with perhaps only the final full panel deployment failing.

The 2003 Beagle 2 Mars lander has been identified in Isidis Planitia at 90.43°E, 11.53°N, close to the predicted target of 90.50° E, 11.53° N. Beagle 2 was an exobiology lander designed to look for isotopic and compositional signs of life on Mars, as part of the ESA Mars Express (MEX) mission. The 2004 recalculation of the original landing ellipse from a 3-sigma major axis of 174–57 km, and the acquisition of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) imagery at 30 cm per pixel across the target region, led to the initial identification of the lander in 2014. Following this, more HiRISE images, giving a total of 15, including IR, red and blue-green colours, were obtained over the area of interest and searched, which allowed the calculation of red : blue-green ratios and sub-pixel imaging using super-high-resolution techniques. The size (approx. 1.5 m), distinctive multilobed shape, red : blue-green average ratio of 1.0 distinct from the local Martian rocks, dust and soil (typically red : blue-green ratio of 2.1), and location close to the centre of the planned landing ellipse led to the identification of Beagle 2. The shape of the imaged lander, although to some extent masked by the specular reflections in the various images, is consistent with deployment of the lander lid and then some or all solar panels. Failure to fully deploy the panels—which may have been caused by damage during landing—would have prohibited communication between the lander and MEX and commencement of science operations. This implies that the main part of the entry, descent and landing sequence, the ejection from MEX, atmospheric entry and parachute deployment, and landing worked as planned with perhaps only the final full panel deployment failing.

The Beagle 2 environmental sensors: intended measurements and scientific goals Conference or Workshop Item How to cite: Towner, M. C.; Ringrose, T. J.im; Patel, M. R.; Pullan, D.; Sims, M. R.; Haapanala, S.; Harri, A.-M.; Polkko, J.; Wilson, C. F. and Zarnecki, J. C. (2003). The Beagle 2 environmental sensors: intended measurements and scientific goals. In: Sixth International Conference on Mars, 20-25 Jul 2003.

To address one of the most important questions in planetary science Is there life on Mars? The scientific community must turn to less costly means of exploring the surface of the Red Planet. The United Kingdom's Beagle 2 Mars lander concept was a small meter-size lander with a scientific payload constituting a large proportion of the flown mass designed to supply answers to the question about life on Mars. A possible reason why Beagle 2 did not send any data was that it was a one-off attempt to land. As Steve Squyres said at the time: It's difficult to land on Mars - if you want to succeed you have to send two of everything.

Penetrators are low mass instrumented packages that can withstand high impact decelerations. They have been launched on two unsuccessful missions to Mars - Mars'96 and DS2, and were developed for the Lunar A mission to the moon which has now been cancelled. Although the benefit of penetrators in planetary in situ science still remains to be demonstrated successfully there is a strong case to be made for the concept. The MoonLITE consortium was formed in the UK with the aim of delivering penetrators to the Moon to do scientific measurements. This presentation outlines the scientific opportunities penetrators offer for lunar science. MoonLITE, a proposed lunar penetrator mission, and its candidate payload instruments are presented.

In situ radiometric dating on mars: investigation of the feasibility of K-Ar dating using flight-type mass and X-ray spectrometers Journal Item How to cite: Talboys, D. L.; Barber, S.; Bridges, J. C.; Kelley, S. P.; Pullan, D.; Verchovsky, A. B.; Butcher, G.; Fazel, A.; Fraser, G. W.; Pillinger, C. T.; Sims, M. R. and Wright, I. P. (2009). In situ radiometric dating on mars: investigation of the feasibility of K-Ar dating using flight-type mass and X-ray spectrometers. Planetary And Space Science, 57(11) pp. 1237–1245.

Planetary exploration places high demands on instrumentation and presents some of the harshest operating environments and constraints known, including extreme thermal conditions, high-radiation tolerance and the need for low mass and power. We present data on a novel X-ray detector, the Semi-Transparent SiC Schottky Diode (STSSD), which shows promising energy resolution (1.3keV Full-Width Half-Maximum at 5.9keV) at room temperature and good radiation tolerance to proton irradiation (with a dose of ∼1013cm−2, energy ∼50MeV) with some degradation in resolution to 2.5keV. Future development of SiC detectors will lead, in principle, to X-ray imaging spectroscopic arrays capable of meeting the stringent demands of future planetary exploration missions. We outline the detector requirements necessary for use in the environment likely to be encountered in a mission to the Jovian system, which has the harshest radiation environment of all the planetary magnetospheres.

MoonLITE is a proposed four penetrator lunar mission. Following a US/UK working group assessment, a science assessment and the first UK impact trials, a full mission-level phase A study has begun. A technological and programmatic update of the mission is given.

While the surface missions to the Moon of the 1970s achieved a great deal, scientifically much was also left unresolved. The recent plethora of lunar missions (flown or proposed) reflects a resurgence in interest in the Moon, not only in its own right, but also as a record of the early solar system including the formation of the Earth. Results from recent orbiter missions have shown evidence of ice or at least hydrogen within shadowed craters at the lunar poles.

Introduction: While the surface missions to the Moon of the 1960s and 1970s achieved a great deal, scientifically a great deal was also left unresolved. The recent plethora of lunar missions (flown or proposed) reflects resurgence in interest in the Moon, not only in its own right, but also as a record of the formation of the Earth-Moon System and the interplanetary environment at 1 AU. Results from orbiter missions have indicated the possible presense of ice within permanently shaded craters at the lunar poles [1] – a situation that, if confirmed, will have profound impacts on lunar exploration.

The Beagle Science Package is a flight qualified set of instruments which should be deployed to the lunar surface to answer the questions about water and volatiles present in permanently shadowed regions and/or beneath the surface.