Mini adventure to Mars

Mars will be explored for conditions favourable for life with UK-developed micro-machine technology. A current Nasa mission represents the first chance for UK hardware, supplied by Imperial College London, to contribute to the exploration of Mars since the failed Beagle 2 spacecraft launched in 2003. A team led by Tom Pike from Imperial's department of electrical and electronic engineering has been conducting trials for several months to work out the best way of studying the Martian soil.