Photo May Lead to Cause Of Craft's Demise 

European scientists said Monday they are examining an image of its Beagle 2 Mars lander, taken moments after it separated from its mothership and later was lost, that also shows an unidentified object. The mysterious blot on the photograph is being scrutinized as one of several potential reasons for the failure of the mission — Europe's first attempt to land a probe on the Red Planet. Mission controllers said they were also considering the possibility that Beagle 2 simply crashed onto the surface of Mars because its atmosphere was less dense than expected. Scientists said they are examining photographs of the landing site that show four bright spots, dubbed the "string of pearls," that might be the remains of Beagle 2. Beag

Mars Rover Fails To Dig Hole In Rock   

The sophisticated grinding tool deployed by NASA's rover Opportunity was apparently no match for a chunk of Martian rock. The rover was to use its rock abrasion tool Sunday to grind away at a Martian outcropping dubbed "Flat Rock," but the tool left "no discernible impression on the rock," NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported. NASA scientists now hope to learn more about the rock's makeup by scraping its exterior. All indications are that the tool is working, NASA said. Researchers also plan to have Opportunity use its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to identify the rock's chemical elements before attempting to grind away at it again later this week.

Breaking Down High-flying Barriers

China will recruit women astronauts for future manned space missions as a result of pressure from a leading women's organization, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday. A proposal by Gu Xiulian, president of the All-China Women's Federation, to allow women to fly on space missions has been approved by the central government, Xinhua reported. China's space craft designers will have to make minor changes to future space ships to accommodate women, the report said. The report said hundreds of Chinese women pilots have joined the country's civil aviation and air force since 1951.