Penguin in Space... Mars probe takes Linux to the red planet

It seems that Linux is breaking new ground every day, but this time the open source OS has gone one better than the desktop – it's gone to Mars.

The latest space probe to head for the red planet, Beagle 2, is making the journey with some help from the penguin. The probe is being run from a Linux workstation in the National Space Centre in Leicester, which will beam instructions to Beagle 2 and is also backed up by two systems based on the open source operating system.

The probe will look for signs of life on Mars, digging deeper than any previous Martian landing.

Little green men are off the agenda, however – the Beagle is just sniffing out gases that might show the presence of bacteria or microbes.

The British-built Beagle is only reckoned to have a 50 per cent chance of success, however, due to uncertainly over its landing site. Beagle 2 is scheduled to land on Mars on Christmas Day.